Fanfic100: Come Around Knocking
by Tigerdust
Summary: Ianto Jones and Lisa Hallett have a love story that predates Jack and Ianto. But what is that story? How does a man with so much sanity nearly destroy the universe? Let's find out together. Done for the 100Fanfic challenge comm on lj.
1. Chapter 1

The air was always colder at Canary Wharf. He had walked these docks many times with Lisa, chatting about inane things, hands grasped together. He smiled and laughed with her, something rare with many of his previous co-workers trudging their way through business school to become suits and big wigs.

Ianto was truly happy for possibly the first time in his life. His job at the mail room had led to a position at Torchwood with his photographic memory and his love of all things file-related. Martin had noticed when the use of alien technology and things of that nature had not been a shock to him. The strain itself that lifted from Ianto and Lisa's relationship when they were both members of the secret alien organization did wonders for them as well.

But Lisa was not with Ianto that night. She had returned from a visit with her mother very tired. The Tube to Cardiff could do that, Ianto supposed. His kiss had grazed her neck and she had smiled warmly. Ianto saw the tired pain in her eyes, wanted to be there for her but couldn't strain the words out. Not without an impatient row he'd avoid if at all possible.

Canary Wharf seemed like a world unto itself, crafted into its own impromptu bubble. The air was different, the people were friendlier, the food tastier and fresh. Ianto found himself whistling into the darkness, hands thrust in the pocket of his jacket. His tie kept him against the cold like a scarf. He felt for the invisible box. In a moment, he would practice.

Ianto had thought long and hard on this moment. The perfect spot, the perfect tone, the perfect ring, even a perfect song, he supposed. Martin had an underwater radio and was delighted at the thought of young love, if not a bit weary considering the nature of their work. But Ianto was a young man in love, movable feasts and all that as Ianto remembered might have been said by Wilde? It might not have been Wilde.

He had just made it to the jewelers and chosen a lovely canary yellow stone, petite but authentic. It reminded him of those little jewels set in the orchids she had worn that first night they had met. He loved orchids because of her. He'd always love orchids. Ianto tried not to waver or tear up. He loved her; after a long search for someone to see him, he loved her and she saw him. And she loved him.

He supposed the ring was supposed to calm him down. He was more hyper than ever. Tomorrow was Christmas Eve at Canary Wharf and with the sounds of carols around and the sights of crystal waters, Ianto was going to propose to Lisa. Too bad the Cybermen were plotting against him.

Creator's Note: Prompt 2: Middle. The middle of Ianto and Lisa's relationship. The night before everything changed. What was that quote? Life is what happens while we're making other plans?


	2. Chapter 2

Frederico was the man to have fun on these occasions, not Ianto. No, Frederico had been right, Ianto was proof that some people were not born with that joie de vivre. Or whatever it was that consumed his flat mate with a passion for mating as many girls in a two-year span as he could handle and remain breathing. He looked as though he were on a fine way to it this evening.

Ianto had been able to slink away silently, disturbingly easy, into the kitchen of a home who's owners he did not know. The kettle whistling was his only comfort against such unbridled ecstasy as he supposed they were drugging themselves with in the next room. His face twisted into a grin; he didn't want whatever his flat mate had. It was all just as well to him.

He saw her through a window, hair done up with fake oriental flowers. She wore a lovely sweater over a simple cocktail dress, a locket one of the few glittering pieces of jewelry that enhanced her long neck and gave her undeniable grace and beauty. Ianto Jones wanted her away from all of this; wanted to preserve it. He gave no thought to himself; there was no reason to. The kettle finished whistling and he poured two cups of tea.

He walked purposefully and loudly onto that balcony. Her sighs were heavy, how could no one have not noticed her? Ianto surely had. But even the less than keen eye should have seen it. "Hello."

"Go away. I don't want company."

"But I don't offer company. Just a cup of tea. Who could refuse tea on a cold night like this?"

"I don't want pity."

"I'm not offering pity. Here. It's just tea." Ianto's calmed his voice to a lower level and handed her the cup.

"Thank you. At least someone at this party knows how to be civil. Doesn't seem like much of a fit for you."

"It's not. May I sit?" She motioned at the chair next to his and he took another second to notice the grace in her neck, the fluid motion of her hands. "I came at the request of my flat mate. He thought I could use some airing out."

"The world could use some more stuffy men like you."

"You flatter me. But I believe introductions are in order, aren't they?"

"Quite right. It's no use sitting drinking tea at a miserable party with a stranger. My name is Hallett, Lisa Hallett."

"And I am Jones, Ianto Jones." He extended his hand and they shook, a shocking touch joined them in a gasp neither heard. "Might I say it's a shame that this party wasn't thrown to honor you."

She blushed. "Thank you Mr. Jones."

"Don't mention it. Now, I believe that since we are warmed up that I might be permitted to escort you home before the wolves notice you so that you might curl up with a good book and fall asleep at a ridiculously sane hour."

"Sounds like a plan. Victor and I have some catching up to do."

"Boyfriend?"

"Not quite. He had too much of a fascination for humpbacks and gypsys for my taste in boyfriend."

Lisa smirked as she finished her tea and Ianto chuckled in spite of the music playing in the background.

Creator's Note: Prompt 5: Outsides.


	3. Chapter 3

Lisa tried not to cry for the third time on that Tube ride. She concentrated on the non-existent fish; it was the most imperative thing to her. She had settled in with Ianto and had settled into a brilliant job at Torchwood. One of the brightest administrative personnel they had ever had, Martin had exclaimed. Right now, any praise would have been spat upon, she was sure of it.

So much had come and gone. Two years had passed since that fateful night on the balcony where Ianto and her had met amongst talk of tea and Victor Hugo. That first Christmas, she remembered, Ianto had presented her with a funny German marionette that had a hunch and a slash of red hair. There had been much merriment beneath that Christmas tree. She forced herself to smile.

Lisa had taken one of her personal days and now she was racing into Cardiff, going to see her mother for counsel and wisdom. Her mother had always had both, along with the most extraordinary chocolate biscuits in the country. And her sense of humor had been unparalleled. Lisa could do with both right about now.

Lisa's fingers grazed her stomach as her mind lingered in the shadows of the darkened train. Pen scratches came from all around. A man in a well-tailored suit was doing a cross word and it caught her attention. He wore a gold watch that looked like Ianto's favorite piece of wardrobe, after his tie.

How would she tell Ianto? Oh god, she thought, I can't ever tell him. I can't ever risk what we have, what I've worked for. She wanted to apologize to herself, to him, to the whole world. Lisa was sure Ianto hadn't noticed, but there was a suspicion as he greeted her in the morning after a serious bout with "food poisoning". He hadn't said a word. He'd been the continued strength and support she'd always come to rely on.

She loved him so much. Even when everything turned out awkward and shit, he loved her as well. Her mother would know what to do. Lisa couldn't tell; love made it that much harder.

Creator's Note: Prompt 9: Months. Get it? Nine months?


	4. Chapter 4

Ianto stood, staring into the small reservoir of clothes lining his closet. The door to his room was shut and silence engulfed him, he convinced himself it was better that way. The silence began to drive him mad, and so he went to turn his radio on, fiddling with the dials. A low pulse of guitar and piano began to a song he could not remember. Ianto sighed, his nervousness showing.

Ianto had never been a fan of big social gatherings, although he often felt as though he were a Jane Goodall figure in the group. He had always grown up faster than those around him, had gracefully excepted his status as quiet loner and wallflower long ago. Only when he was in classes at University would he volunteer questions and conjectures. That science class; he shuddered a bit as he thought of it. She sat three rows away and to the left of him. That girl that was so intelligent and wonderful; had short black hair and wore very nice outfits, not seeming to run with the trends. She and I would never meet by chance, he thought. He vaguely remembered that her name was Lisa. Then it hit him that it was not vague at all.

He could hear his name being yelled from the common room of the flat he shared with Frederico. Frederico was nothing less than a Brazilian playboy on holiday who happened to be one of the smartest math geeks in the country. He hid his love for math well under his playboy persona. Ianto often wondered if they would ever clash. But it wasn't his business in either case.

"Ianto, are you ready? We're going to be late! You're worse than a woman!"

Ianto rolled his eyes. They'd never be late; the crowd he ran with would hold a party for him. Ianto flung the towel from around his middle into a nearby wicker hamper and began to look at a color scheme of blue shirts.

"You're not serious, are you?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Ianto, this is not a business meeting! You can't wear a tie!"

"But it's a hallmark of mine. Dad always said..."

"Yes, I know what your father always said about making first impressions, but, bloody hell Ianto, how do you hope to get laid in a suit?"

Ianto drew himself up. "Firstly, I do not hope to get "laid", as you so elegantly put it. Secondly, I'm not sure I want to even go to this party. Thirdly, the type of girl that is drawn to a boy in a suit is most likely the only type I want to attract anyways."

Frederico stared, as if seeing him for the first time. He thought to himself, If Ianto Jones wasn't one of the best kept and smartest boys in London, I'd be out of here in a nanosecond. "Alright, Ianto. Let's not have a row while I'm still in a good mood. I suppose you'll just always be a wallflower then."

"A well-dressed wallflower."


	5. Chapter 5

_But what hurts the most_

_Is being so close _

_And having so much to say_

_And watching you walk away_

_And never knowing what could have been_

_And not seeing that love in you_

_Is what I was trying to do_

It wasn't dark enough, that's what Ianto's opinion was. Death, destruction, and darkness seemed like a great introduction to Torchwood. The three D's of Torchwood. But Ianto was of the opinion that, while he was scared still, it wasn't dark enough.

He thought of the crumpling feeling inside of himself when Lisa had thrown him across the Hub when she had finally allowed the Cyber spirit to possess her completely. He spent that day, and many nights after, lying in a cold room. No noise, save for the hum of the refrigerator, and no heartbeat lying next to him.

Ianto wanted to feel anger, but he couldn't. His energy was drained on the pain of losing the doctor he had sent to heal her, of losing her before it was too late. But wasn't it always just too late? Wasn't Torchwood always playing catch-up and never truly preventing anything?

His throat burned for alcohol some nights, but he'd barely touch it. He remembered his Great Uncle and the parties he had held. He remembered how his uncle had died, bloated and nearly alone. Only Ianto has stood by his side as Michael had wrestled Gerald into the darkness, or whatever the hell was after you died.

The face of twenty gnashing hungry cannibalizing weevils looked all around him. There was something surreal and abnormal about the place. He thought that it was fitting, dying alone. It had been stupid going off after some Rift noise on his own, even though Owen and Tosh were already gone. Maybe this was payment for sending Owen off to die alone. No one really deserved that kind of treatment. Not even him.

It was appropriate to die like this, wasn't it? He made peace with the sound of weevils inching closer. He made peace with the growls of their stomachs and the desire in their eyes. He made peace with the howling peals of laughter that echoed as Bilis had exited the cage, padlocking it shut and leaving the room.

There was a reflection as the door closed behind him. A reflection that spread into warmth and joy in Ianto's body, as if he could feel her. He pictured Lisa, the Lisa he had met at the party, the Lisa who had thrown popcorn on his head during Gold finger, the Lisa who would have been his life.

Her figure, shimmering in gold smiled down at him, and he relaxed. The Weevils were coming and the door was crashing through, but it was too late. He smiled and looked at her. He'd always love Jack Harkness, he was sure, but there was always something more. There was always something, here at the end, where you remember the first one you loved.


	6. Chapter 6

Martin's words rang through Ianto's head as he strolled ahead of Lisa with a flashlight. _The first assignment is always the most difficult_. Great, Ianto snorted, his torch weaving through the dark corridor, thanks for the confidence Martin.

Lisa and Ianto had become stables on the fourth floor of Torchwood One, gaining notice for their humanity and exceptional skills at filing and technical issues. Ianto's coffee was of private infamy on the level as well, and Martin was determined to keep it from Agatha Lennox. Miss Lennox, of course, was a woman that Ianto and Lisa never hoped they'd have to meet. She ran UNIT as well as supervised every level of Torchwood One.

The building itself was massive with differing infrastructures. The fourth floor dealt with alien technology and tied into the seventh, dealing with occult technology, rumored to be in league with the Watchers Council. Ianto and Lisa knew this only because Ianto had made it his personal mission to know all the case history while Lisa had learned every rule and mandate Torchwood had ever gone through. They had covered about half the staff as well, discounting the personal connections on their own floor.

It had come as a great shock to both when they were paired for their first "field" assignment. After a great flurry of paperwork, they had loaded up their plain black town car with different field packs of "just in case" equipment, although some of it Ianto had to question. They weren't the MI-5. He wasn't sure a pen that wrote in seven colors under uv light was necessary, but who was he to argue?

The blip of activity in the historical building had lead Ianto and Lisa to a place off the tour grounds. There was an armory far into the back which had not seen the light of day in many years. All Lisa and Ianto knew were the the blip, according to the scans, resonated from this room, somewhere in the walls. Seemed like a simple task? Seemed like it, indeed.

The room was musty and dark, thick with lack of use. There was a time when light had shown through proudly and men and women had shuffled past on the thick red carpet respectfully. Ianto felt as though he was looking at a graveyard of sorts. He shivered, wondering how long it would be before the things he loved were tucked away like this. He looked toward Lisa, wishing she hadn't been chosen as well. She turned to him with a questioning glance and he reminded himself they chose her because she was just as capable.

Lisa pointed to one of the variety of statues. This statue was different. Each of its predecessors held a sword and this one did not. Lisa removed the scanner chip from her cell phone pocket and placed it in the lifeless converter unit, which would send the scan back towards headquarters via a relay point.

The statue's fingers took a hold of Lisa's wrist tightly and turned, dragging her. Her eyes went wide and Ianto yelled out as the wall behind the statue opened. The statue turned back and he went to assault it without thinking. All he received was the same treatment and several bruises inside his wrist.

To be continued...

C/N: Prompt 38-Touch


	7. Chapter 7

Ianto had shut his eyes sharply, thinking of only Lisa. He remembered the feeling of being pulled through the open wall; the feeling of millions of little fingers pawing him toward somewhere. He had landed quite abruptly and fallen unconscious. He awoke without opening his eyes first and heard chirping while laying on a carpet. Wait. Something wasn't quite right.

Ianto sprung up and found himself looking around a thicket of forest near mid-day. He was disoriented, but he wondered if that would imply he knew where he was. Ianto called for Lisa to no avail. He felt as though he had been asleep for hours, possibly days. It had been incredibly irresponsible of him to do such a thing, but he agreed to admonish himself later.

A man in the suit fell upon Letrois and his line of vision, walking dazed from the forest clearing. He did not smell of alcohol, but of cleanliness, and of something odd. Letrois leaned upon his spade and shovel as he was digging , watching the man come forward to him.

"Where am I?" The man's voice was panicked Letrois noted. It was a question more leaning towards when am I, but who was Letrois to argue?

"Wales, feudal township of Cardiff, dear jester. Have you lost your way?"

"I'm still in Cardiff?"

"Agreeably, yes. But isn't it too early in the day to be drinking? Did your carriage fall to a band of thieves?"

"No, I wish it had been so. I don't remember what happened. Why do you keep calling me a jester?"

"No ordinary man would gallivant about in such funny clothing." Ianto looked down momentarily before he started cursing the young man leaning on his farming equipment. Ianto felt a pang of guilt, he looked out of place in his sharp dress. Lisa had even begun teasing him about his fashion sense as of late. Lisa, Ianto remembered. He had an idea. "Are you not a jester?"

"That I am. I was on the road to Cardiff..."

Letrois waved his arms. "Say no more. I will escort you to town myself with the goods I need to barter for my next supply of stock. I'm sure you will have much to tell Queen Lisell that will amuse the king's new bride. Hopefully, the Lord God will look better on you this trip than the last."

"Queen Lisell?" It couldn't be, mere coincidence. How long had Ianto been asleep?

To be continued...

Prompt 50: Spade


	8. Chapter 8

The trip into Cardiff on the back of a hay wagon had been one of the longest, and rated third on the most miserable, days of Ianto's life. He had learned valuable tidbits about his time and where in history he had presented himself. He had thought up the name Ianto D'Artanian for himself, it seemed easier to explain a surname like that compared to Jones.

Letrois was a hearty traveling companion, full of good jokes and finer food. He was able to cook anything well over an open fire and even could make certain rodents and lizards appealing, which had struck Ianto as odd since lizards were no longer indigenous to Wales, but he kept his peace. He swore he'd never mention the cooked rat to anyone, ever.

Cardiff was a strange sight to behold without the towers of skyscrapers or factories. The walls surrounding the place were large and dirty, carved from stone and jutting about, hiding all sounds and sights except for the crashing waves. People went hurriedly about their business and Ianto noted with interest the way the Welsh haggled so brilliantly for goods.

Letrois stopped the cart and talked to one of the guards at the gate, introducing Ianto and a list of impressive references. Bidding Letrois a fond farewell, Ianto watched as the guard opened the gate to the tall castle overlooking the sea. On the side of the wall, he noticed servants beginning to carve words into a large, dark granite stone. The words were Gaelic and Latin in origin but Ianto could not make out the message. Something seemed off about the entire scenario.

He followed the guard past heavier walls of mingled iron that formed an inner gate. He was announced to a page and told firmly to wait for his turn. Several juggling men and various costumed clowns stood waiting for entrance into the court. Each left in turn and none ever came back. Ianto gulped heavily and bit his lip when he was announced. How on Earth would he find Lisa now?

Of course, she found him. She sat on a carved throne, at the side of man with a streak of long gray through his black hair and the face of a very happy frog. It wasn't in Ianto's power to laugh, and he reminded himself that the ranks of stature demanded they sit high. Intimidation was a strong tool of purpose.

But Ianto could not deny that Lisa was there. She looked blankly in his direction, no hint of recognition. Her hair was decorated with a crown of diamonds and a stately shawl hung over a modest and well-tailored dress.

"Queen Lisell will take no more tame jesters. You had best be prepared to amuse her." His voice held contemptuous warning, and she sighed, obviously not wanting all this attention and beginning to fidget. Something behind her eyes made Ianto wonder. Was it amnesia?

To be continued...

Prompt 48: Diamond


	9. Chapter 9

"Well?! You'd best do something jester. The queen does not look kindly on waiting."

The blood seemed to stop in Ianto's arm. He couldn't think straight, at a loss for what to do. Ianto had tried to think this far, but a skilled performer at commedia del arte and folk hero songs, he was not. He wondered if coffee making and system filing were a talent to be considered. But his arm promptly fell asleep and he tried to rotate it back to health.

"Charades." Lisa said it suddenly, blinking from her stupor. Ianto looked down, slightly confused, until he realized he was making the motion for a movie title.

"What was that, my love?"

"Oh my lord, isn't that the rage now in France? Aren't all the French entertaining with charades?"

"I would not know", the King replied dimly, "unless the jester cares to explain himself." The fact hung in the air.

"If the Lord of the land would beg my indulgence, but what is it the King seeks?"

"Wise entertainment." The response bore the same dryness.

"But what is more, wise counsel. How else might I offer this but through woven proverb over silly joke or song?"

"My queen?"

"Silly jokes and songs are the marks of heathens, good King." Ianto caught Lisa's half-knowing sharpness out of the corner of her eye, meeting his.

"Then let it never be said that I am a heathen, but a God-fearing King. Continue, jester." And with a wave of his hand, the guards that had been stepping forward moved back towards the stone columns.

In his silence, Ianto twisted his nose and looked for his first word. He raised four fingers into the air.

"Four words?, First word then."

Ianto grabbed a lit torch from the side of a column and began to flail the fire about in his arm.

"Heat...Warmth...Fire..."

"Maybe it's the torch he's holding?" Ianto nodded. "Second word then."

Ianto grimaced just briefly, extinguishing the flame by rubbing it against the ground and then presenting the until object, bowing slightly.

"Let's see...Staff...Long...Bark...what do you think, my King?"

"Isn't it obvious? The first two words are Torchwood."

"Oh, you are so much more clever!"

"Don't show too much excitement, my dear, the aristocracy should not be known for their excitement." What the King did not realize was the the word Torchwood was enough to jog Lisa's memory and now she sat waiting for the last word, rehearsing a way to find time alone with Ianto to try and figure out a plan.

"Let's say the third word is inconsequential, jester, last word. What is that he is doing?"

"I believe he's pulling a stitch of cloth away."

"From the center of his chest? Don't be absurd. Why, that's the area across the man's..."

"Heart. And what is the heart then, but life? Torchwood is life. That must be the proverb!"

"Not a very good proverb, I'm afraid."

"My dear King, Torchwood is life means that honesty gives life, much like an honest flame is only extinguished by an honest hand."

The king's face turned away just briefly and returned slightly more red. "Take him away." His teeth were bared, whether in anger or humiliation, none would ever know.

"Oh stop, my King. Please, he does amuse me so. Allow me to take him to see these sights. He is not against you, he bears the visage of the strong Welsh peasant. Do this thing for me and find mercy, I beg you."

"It is not in a King's nature to have mercy." But the King saw the anger in the young man's eyes as he watched Lisa's words and the jester struggling with four thickly armed guards. Bemusement played across his features. Ianto not begging or pleading resolved the King, what he could not see was Ianto flinging the guards away to reach Lisa as well as he could have. "Such a brave fool should not be sacrificed just yet." He sighed. "Fine, take him with you on a tour. If that is your wish, this jester you may keep."

To be continued...

C/N: Prompt 47 Heart and TTM prompt 95 Mime


	10. Chapter 10

Ianto Jones spent the night in the servants quarters, gagging on the stench of things he thought he'd never wash from his skin. He thought of Lisa, far away in the castle. She was warm and safe, in the arms of another man, but warm and safe nonetheless. His features resembled many of the strong servants here and he vaguely wondered how many he might have been, or was more appropriately, related to.

The first of the morning light rushed him from his bed of itchy hay and strong wool blanket. He knew that he would not see Lisa again by his own timetable, so he sat with the squires of the knights and made small talk. Many of them had lived in villages breathing stories about Robin Hood and a few had studies small Latin phrases given to them by passing monks, which was severely taboo but customary of Welsh monks.

His mixture of gruel and the last of the hearty laughter was being depleted, when it was announced that his presence was expected outside of the gates, to wait for Queen Lisell. He was dressed in his suit for the over third day in a row, who would care to think farther?, but the prospect of a moment with Lisa to try and regroup and to plan strategics was enticing for him. Further, he missed her deeply. They'd been nearly inseparable since they met, even if it was just helping her to write a new file for a new screen saver program she was making.

She stepped into the light of the midday, and Ianto had to stifle a gasp. She wore a crown of gold against her hair with a lavender veil flowing slightly behind it. Her dress was the color of sapphires with small bands of gold in the sewn edges. Nearly a peasant dress, but just tasteful enough to pass for a day gown and to separate her from Welsh peasant women. Not that she would need any help with that.

"Jester, you must not stand against me gawking, but open the door for me." Ianto picked up his jaw from the floor after just a moment, hoping she was just enjoying being in character.

"Of course, dear Queen Lisell. I would not expect the privileged such as you to be sullied with the ground or such common dullities as retrieving ones own door." Ianto bowed with a flourish and he could see her mind suppressing a dangerous laugh. Her eyelid slanted as she passed, a hint of flirting passing between the two.

Once they were in the safety of a moving carriage, Ianto having already impressed the horseman and making sure he was compensated to silence, the barriers went down and he reached for Lisa. She was relieved to see that he hadn't had amnesia as well.

"What happened?"

"After I fell, I awoke in this bed wearing chambermaid clothes and hearing shouts. Then my name was called for and I happened upon the King having crashed his wife's head in with a vase. The poor man was panicked and I suggested a ruse of adultery and to have him marry me so that this ruse might bring you closer. I was banking on the fact that you might have landed in Cardiff, although why I awoke as a chambermaid with no memory, I'll never know."

"But how did you choose the name Lisell without knowing your own?"

Lisa shrugged. "He had a great aunt by that name."

"Well, I suppose the fates have created this giant billboard for the pair of us, never to be separated by circumstance."

"Some would just call that luck, Ianto."

"What was that quote? In my experience, there is no such thing as luck."

"You were always a bit of a pessimist, weren't you?"

"And you put too much faith in fate."

"Ianto, hold on, why are we driving away from the city?"

The horseman would not listed to their shouts and they drove deeper into the forest. Ianto felt his face become flush with unknown danger. Unknown danger and the arrow that pierced the wall directly opposite of him. The carriage stopped and Lisa looked at Ianto, biting her lip. A voice directed them to leave the carriage immediately.

Lisa stepped out after Ianto and both immediately had their legs kicked out from underneath them, so they leaned against the soft carpet of forest.

"Strip them and leave them for the dogs of the forest, such as courtesy for the folk of court deserve." A man sneered at them. Most of what Ianto could see was a simple shoe and a very large club.

"Wait a moment."

"What do you say to me, new court jester?"

"You're making a big mistake."

"My friends and I don't make mistakes. The tyranny in this empire deserves to see what it does to decent folk." There was a slight cheer of voices risen around Ianto's head.

"You don't sound Welsh."

"I'm from elsewhere."

"Can I sit up and see your face at least? Give the courtesy which men demand of one another."

He heard an audible sigh. "If you wish."

Ianto was raised back up to his full height and Lisa raised back to her knees. Ianto's eyes went large. "I know you."

"I'm sure I would remember meeting one like yourself."

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

There were three men in the group that surrounded Lisa and Ianto. Lisa wasn't troubled by the singular man, but by the one bearing a large crossbow, the other with a staff and a third yet that was hiding something in his breeches. Only Ianto was focused on the man standing center, his legs apart in a heroic pose, hands on his impatient hips, staring down at Ianto in amusement.

"If this is your way of pleading for your lives..."

"Don't worry. It's not."

"Oh, our fair new Queen has a backbone to her. Sure you don't care to plead for mercy or sanctuary?"

"And why should I? I've done nothing wrong."

Ianto eyes moved from the stranger to Lisa, pleading with her to play the part of the damsel in distress for just a bit longer.

"To live in such an age where men cower." The leader rolled his eyes toward heaven.

"I don't cower."

"Your eyes say more in pleading then her lips would."

"She doesn't realize how much of a danger you are. I do. We work for Torchwood."

His eyes went pale. "That's impossible."

"You should know better than that, alien." Ianto's nostrils were flaring, his eyebrows furrowed and teeth bared. He watched Lisa from the corner of his eye, noticing the way her throat contracted a bit.

"Of course I am an alien to these parts. Fair men, give us leave. Obviously these are Welsh countrymen by stance and they shall be taught the error of their ways. Innocent blood shall not be spilt like those we fight." There was a general rumble of consent and the men, which included the horsemen, drifted back into the woods and the silence the surrounded the trio.

"I guess I should untie your ropes then."

"How did you get here?"

"What is his name, Ianto?"

"Captain Jack Harkness is the record on file."

"Number three?! Here?! Now?!"

"First field mission I'm guessing." Ianto felt the pressure of hemp rope give way and he stood, massaging his wrists as Lisa joined him in standing.

"It's true."

"Hands above your head! We're taking jurisdiction here. However you activated the Rift, you are taking us home now and turning yourself over."

Jack looked from Lisa to Ianto with his arms outstretched and then burst into laughter, leaving a very confused Ianto and Lisa watching Jack Harkness doing laughter somersaults all over an ancient forest in olden day Cardiff.

"You're blaming me for your predicament? God, you people are thick."

"You must have activated the Rift."

"Lady, do you think I would choose to stick myself out here and play the hero?"

"Good place to hide from universal authorities, I'd wager."

"Cute, but you're awfully suspicious, aren't you?"

"Lisa, you might as well put your weapon away. What good does it do for us to arrest him here?"

"Your partner's got a level head. Gotta love that about you Welsh."

"He's my boyfriend."

"Oh, perfect."

To be continued...


	12. Chapter 12

"Okay, look, I'll get you guys back to whatever time you're from, but you can't tell anyone who I am."

"Why?"

"Because we'd risk creating another Rift by doing that."

"Precisely. And what was your name again?"

"Jones, Ianto Jones."

"Ianto, don't shake hands with the enemy!"

"And why not? He's offered to get us home. Have any better suggestions?"

"Just don't shake hands with him."

"Right. Because all aliens know that you guys at Torchwood are the be all, end all of sainthood. Ever wonder what the rest of the world thinks of you or what you guys might be headed for?"

"Doesn't matter. It's not our lives."

"You think that now, but here you are, talking to the, incidentally, how am I number third on your list?" Jack scratched the back of his head, brown bangs falling just below his eyes and some strands of longer hair wisping away from his collared coat made of rabbit skin.

"You list right under the Doctor and the second who's name we have no language for yet."

"Of course. Even abandoning me, I'm still living under that damn fool's shadow." Jack rubbed his hands together and gave them a sharp clap, which set Lisa and Ianto to jumping a little. "Here's the deal. I get you home, but you follow my lead. Once you get there, you tell no one I was here and you get the rest of Torchwood to lighten up the search for the Doctor."

"That's all?"

"Look, we're good guys, the Doctor and I. You humans, though, have such a ragged perception of aliens and everything. I'll be amazed if you don't blow each other up before the twenty-first century or something." Lisa and Ianto gave each other a look. "Oh god, you haven't, have you? Don't tell me, I'm pretty sure I don't want you to know. But come on, you will be my guests tonight. It's getting late and they look as though they aren't feeding you in that castle."

Ianto and Lisa followed Jack as he walked back through the maze of forest. "So, Jack..."

"Please, call me Robin."

"Why?"

"Well, right now, that's my name. I'm head of the Order of the Hoods. I kinda nabbed it from literature I remember reading when...well, that's not really important."

"So, you're telling us Robin Hood was an alien."

He turned and bowed. "At your service, then."

"And just how do you propose to send us home, seal whatever it was that brought us here, and trust us?"

"One step at a time, fair lady. One step at a time. Ah! Here we are."

"But where's here?"

Jack brought one finger to Ianto's lips and then set about working in the clearing they had reached. He moved five pieces of rope together, forming a hexagon which he stood in the center of. He knocked four times and then three more times on the nearest tree. The tree rustled and he made the call of a robin in response. A stunned pair followed a handsome man decked in the coat of a hare inside a hidden fortress, the smell of stew boiling away.

"Oi! Friar Martin! Two more places for dinner! We have company."

To Be Continued...


	13. Chapter 13

"Let me introduce you to my band of Merry Men. On the left, we have Friar Martin our resident cook and Doctor. He keeps are bellies full and our limbs from falling off." Martin bowed as he set the table and then walked back to tend his stew. "Two of our younger gentlemen, call them squires if you wish, that guard our gate and accompany me on missions to secure the likes of yourself." Two identical blond boys, not much older than thirteen, looked down from a rope bridge. "Our code woman and confidant, gathers us all our information on new arrivals and activities in the kingdom, Leona." A short woman with red hair and an ample bosom looked up from several dense yellow scrolls and nodded. "And, our resident farming and peasant expert..."

Ianto gasped. "Letrois."

"You've met."

Ianto walked up to Letrois and found himself pulled into a hug. "You've found me again! How wonderful you weren't beheaded!"

"You sent me into that court knowing I could die?!"

"I assumed you understood the hazards of your vocation." Ianto's response was a blank stare.

Jack filled the silence. "Fellow outlaws, we have two new members into our band for a short time!" There were few cheers. "It seems these are good folks and need to get back home. I'll need co-operation to attend to a false raid of the castle. I know this moves up our plans a few days to disarm the King from his treasury, but..."

"Isn't that just the way? I spend all these hours laying groundwork, Robin, and you go and change things for a pretty face or two."

"Oh Leona. Don't be so dramatic. These folks are more important than any of us." Jack winked at Ianto and Lisa just stood, weighing various words in the conversation.

"How do you want to do it, Robin?"

"Isn't it obvious? Squire Jaime has been fancied with you for awhile now. How much would it take to turn his head?"

"Far less than for you, I'd wager." The second answered where the first began.

"It's settled then. Tomorrow we stage a raid!"

"How fun!" Letrois raised a fist as Martin shouted about the meal.

"Fun indeed." Lisa heard Ianto murmur under his breath as Jack sat him as close to himself as he could.

Jack whispered to Ianto. "Look, whatever happens tomorrow, stick close to me. You've obviously done your research. I'm going to use my Rift manipulator once we're inside the Armory to send both of you back."

"How in the devil did you get a Rift manipulator?"

"I haven't. They're working on it in the courtyard."

To Be Continued...


	14. Chapter 14

Letrois drove the nervous pair back inside the castle early the next morning. Sun was just arriving over the hill as Lisa was whisked back away to the King's side and Ianto nervously waited for the plan to swing into action. It was when Lisa was seen taking a walk through the battlements the next morning that the plan came into view.

Ianto watched Lisa from the fire, the light of the sunrise moving through her hair and her gossamer dress floating on an invisible wind. He knew her mind was racing with thoughts and conjectures over the plan, her chin tucked further down into her bosom as she thought. He saw that look of concentration so many times, it was a joy of normalcy to see it now.

Lisa's stroll left the battlements deserted because she requested solace and Queen Lisell was a fierce beauty and wit who received everything she wished for. Her head turned down, she concetrated on the sound of hooves and on the dust of the rocks. Robin's call came and she looked for Ianto in the servant's fire below. He nodded and moved over to Squire Jaime, to join him for his day's duty in protecting the Armory.

"You sure, jester, that you wish to join in a brave man's game of waiting? Especially with Robin Hood around?"

Lisa watched as they climbed the outer walls from the gate near the forest, ropes swinging wildly about. One missplaced peasant or dishonest traitor would ruin the whole game. Lisa helped Jack finish scaling the last brick.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it."

"I'm counting on it, Squire Jaime. I'm counting on it."

Ianto saw recognition and a fire sweep over Jaime's eyes as they walked towards the Armory. A flame of red hair shot past, cloaked but smiling underneath and moving slowly. Ianto nodded and Jaime chased away as the last guard for the Armory whistled and leaned against the door post, waiting.

The span of time was short before havoc erupted all around them. Letrois began cracking through the black rock Ianto had watched them carve names into along with Jack while various peasants and unofficial members of the gang stormed the castle. Letrois, of course, had conveniently left a large stone beneath one of the gates, leaving it just ajar enough.

The Rift Manipulator was buried one third of a foot into the solid rock and several layers of dense, black sweat and rock covered the pair as they finished their work. The watch made Jack smile as he held it close, reminding him of a time long ago. The sound of screams erupted and Jack was pulled away. Letrois hurried with Jack towards the main hall to fetch Lisa, who was guarding herself and hitting ruffians over the head with a clean bedpan.

Lisa's eyes held fury as she ran through the course of the main hall, men fighting and shouting all around her. Jack stopped just briefly as she stormed out of the castle, hearing her mutter the words "lady" under her breath several times. He didn't think now would be an appropriate time to laugh.

The armory seemed to be abandoned as the quartet strolled in. Letrois began to ask questions and Jack just shook his head, forcing Letrois to equate this to a witch's spell or the fate of gods. Either way, he could not know the truth. Somehow, that seemed almost easier to them all.

Among the piles of polished knight wardrobe, it stood as a statue, silent and mocking. The shined key to transporting destiny lay ahead. Jack scanned it quickly.

"We've got a problem."

"Oh, now we have a problem? And what is that?"

"This transporter requires a guiding spirit." Jack fought the fear in his voice, monotone compared to the storm brewing behind his eyes.

"And what does that mean?"

"It means all of you will be under arrest. All shall burn as traitors." The King stood before them, angry robes billowing all around.

To be continued...


	15. Chapter 15

"You came alone, Rhys."

"You shall address me as King."

"A King rules well. I shall not address you as that."

"Tough words. Notice how I came alone Robin. Because I know a worthier man can dispose of a lesser."

"Heavy words for a weasel and an imposter."

"No more raids shall occur in the name of Robin Hood."

They fought with the weaponry in the room. Maces, swords, knives, hands, a general flurry of activity and arsenal occurred, the other occupants of the room being held hostage. They wanted to help Jack but not risk harming the cause. And so they waited. And Ianto mulled over what Jack had said about the transporter.

King Rhys fell near the transporter and Jack held a dangerous object to his throat.

Gasping for breath, he begged for mercy. "I concede. Please, kill me then and allow me to beg no more."

"You shall go into hiding. I shall not spill the blood as you spill that of the innocent." Jack turned his back, barely seeing the flash of the rapier against the daybreak through the window.

"Robin, no!" Letrois moved across the room in an instant, flapping his arms and taking the banner of the cause for which Robin had lived. Lisa's hand flew to her mouth in horror and Ianto's breath stopped as they watched Letrois began to lose to the King.

Robin signalled them as he staggered forth and Ianto helped him near the machine. "Grab onto the hands. I'm setting the Rift Manipulator. You should be returned to your correct time. Remmeber our deal." Robin groaned.

"But you..."

"Don't thank me just yet." He grinned with a slight wince.

A few flashes of invisible buttons and Lisa felt herself being spirited away, Ianto by her side. The room around them turned light as the color orange and then dark again as they were thrown, alone, back into the dusty Armory room where they had begun from. Ianto began gasping.

"He...he...gave his life for us."

"He gave his life for his cause."

"No, Lisa, he didn't." The guilt on Ianto's face was plain. "Once we get back, start working on those files about the Doctor, but we must try to honor what he asked."

"I will, Ianto. I will. I think we might need to get home."

"Yes, I'm all for a shower, but what should we say in the report?"

The phone chirped and Lisa groped in the vague darkness for it. "Yes, Martin. What was that? I see. What we found wasn't important. The signal has stopped, yes? Good. Ianto and I were wondering if you need us for anything else today. No, we can come back and begin the paperwork. Yes, no problem. Corned beef on wheat? We'll see, Martin, but you are paying us back this time. Soon then. Goodbye."

"You were brilliant."

"Yes, well, I took acting classes the summer before A Levels. I feel wrecked on the inside."

"I feel dirty."

"Well, let's soldier on and get cleaned up, then. We have a job to do. According to Martin, we were only gone a solid half hour."

"Never a dull moment in Torchwood."

"I don't think I'd want it any other way."


	16. Chapter 16

Evan Martin broke into the break room like a man possessed. Various Torchwood staff milled about during their rather abnormally placed lunch hours. Ianto himself was mid-spoon into his thermos of vegetable medley when Martin burst dramatically in. No one was sure why, but no one used his first name anymore.

"Well, is the world ending then?" Raleigh spoke first, breaking the tension that followed with a bit of laughter. Raleigh and Sherry were a married couple, British born transplants to India, that had a knack for accounting and spoke fifteen Earth languages between themselves, and two alien since starting in accounting with Torchwood.

Often, Lisa and Ianto would spend weekends playing board games and having various events which both Sherry and Raleigh enjoyed attending and brought food too. Sherry's chip dip was much raved about and the perfect compliment to a good Are You Being Served? Marathon.

"The world would end the week I perfect my new sandwich spread recipe." General nods followed Sherry's comment.

"No, no. That's not it!" Martin's fingers weaved about the air, plucking a large yellow envelope from behind his own back.

Ianto groaned. "Not the Santa twinkle. He's gotten another package from Chris, then."

"Alright, everyone. Remain calm. Just a few pence and we'll be out of here shortly." Lisa's hands went up into the air, mock firmness implied. Few heard her over the laughters and groans.

"Oh, come on people. You can't tell me you don't like these things." With much aplomb, Martin twirled a penknife through the package tape and various bits of lottery scratch-off tickets fell onto the kitchen cupboard. "Now, who's ready to help me win some cash?"

"Want to give it a go, Ianto?"

"Those things are rigged, Lisa."

"Well, I know that. But it's hard not to get caught up in his enthusiasm." Lisa reached across and picked out a nice shining blue ticket and began to scratch away, looking for the pattern or matching numbers that might win Martin some American money.

Martin, it should be explained, had visited his cousin Christopher in New York about three years previous, where he had become hooked on instant money lottery scratch-off tickets. So far, he had won three dollars, which he split with Chris. He maintained that it was about the thrill of scratching. There was a general bet going around about when Martin actually won, how quickly he'd be retiring afterward.

"Martin, we've got a winner! A whole two American dollars!" Sherry flashed Lisa a thumbs-up sign and the room broke out into rabid applause. Lisa tried not to fall onto the floor laughing.

To be continued...

Prompt 13: Yellow

Sub-Series Title: National Lottery (Part 1 of ?)


	17. Chapter 17

Everything at Torchwood begins in a quiet way, slipping into your life. It might be a random event or a noise, sometimes a person, that can change the way you see the entire universe. Well, this very event happened on a boring old Tuesday in London, on one of the rare nights it didn't seem to be raining at all. I remember the sound of Lisa fiddling about the kitchen making popcorn. Our shoes lay by the door and I was fully-reclined across the couch, zoning out in between commercials.

"You'd best not be fake snoring, Ianto. I know you secretly like this program!"

"Fake snoring? I'd never do that, Lisa. But you know how I feel about this show."

"Oh, come on, Ianto. It's only one night a week out of your life. What do you think you're going to miss?"

"On Holly Oaks In Space? Nothing."

"Ianto, the name of the show is not Holly Oaks in Space! It's Babylon 5!"

"Well, they could bloody well call it Holly Oaks in Space! That's what it reminds me of."

"Funny. I didn't take you as a Holly Oaks fan."

"I." Okay, so she won that argument. The look of triumph in her eyes as she snags the first bit of popcorn of the giant bowl she put between us, on my tummy no less as she reclines on my feet instead of asking me to move, reminds me of how much I love her. Of course, I'd never actually admit to liking the program. She's very cute when she antagonizes me.

The opening theme begins and my heart is already beginning to race. I memorized it silently line by line and talk along to myself. And then, my program cuts out! I mean, our program cuts out!

"Ladies and gentleman, an announcement from the prime minister."

"What's going on, Ianto?"

"Dunno. Didn't get any readings in our last night stake. Guess something caught us off-guard." Each Torchwood operative has to spend one night a week in the building monitoring activity in the sky. Our night usually falls on the night of premieres and so we watch a lot of reruns.

The news anchor with the bad comb-over turns it over to the prime minister with a worse comb-over and a double chin. Or is the prime minister the one who likes Bush? It's hard to keep up these days. In any case, he's standing there smiling and taking photos with a very attractive and tan gentlemen who reminds me of Abraham Lincoln, only shorter.

"Thank you, Mr. Prime Minister. My name is Terrance Sanford and I come bearing great greetings from the world of the wealthy elites. Now, I know what you are thinking. You are thinking, sod off you bastard! I want my QI with Stephen Frye! Now, don't worry this won't take too long. What's that? Wrong channel? Sorry."

Ianto and Lisa exchanged worried glances.

"Now, I have a great uncle from whom I inherited a vast fortune to add to that which I'm already worth and since I'd rather spread the wealth, I formed a committee to create a way to do just that. In the coming weeks, every household in America will be receiving four scratch offs, with a one in four chance of appearing in the National Lottery game show, where you will have a chance to win ten thousand quid on-site! I hope this will entice most of you to play and we of the Sanford Clan wish every person in London and across the UK the best of luck!"

The television program clicked back to Babylon 5 just as abruptly, Ianto and Lisa not having blinked and not quite sure how to process the information. Ianto spoke first.

"They interrupted Capt. Sheridan leading a resistance for that?!"

"Ah ha! I knew you liked this show!"

To be continued...

Prompt 8: Weeks


	18. Chapter 18

Martin began checking his mail obsessively and began scheduling lunch hours around mail route times. Ianto did a little digging and could find out nothing on Mr. Sanford or his committee. Lisa just abstained from comment, not really one to go digging for money anyways. When Martin brought it up with his usual fervor, she shrugged it off. Either way, she'd still be Lisa Hallett. A bit of extra money is nice and all, but it shouldn't change a person. She teased Martin that he'd become a Sanford evangelist. He turned ten shades of red on the spot.

It was the fourth night of the contest that Ianto and Lisa received an envelope containing their four scratch-offs.

"Huh. I would have thought we'd be further down on the list."

"Well, not according to this, we're not."

"Let me see that." Ianto scanned the accompanying letter while they drank coffee at their small kitchenette table. "According to this, they'll be filming the wheel spinning for the money if you are on the program. That should be exciting."

"Yes. And less chance of mayhem that way."

"Well, unless you win."

"I'm sure they'll have extra guards there, in that case."

"Shall we have a go then, Lisa?"

"You know, without Martin here it seems like such a waste."

"He's probably already scratched his off, you know. Most likely had a giant bash for the occasion."

"Well, not without us he wouldn't have."

"Party for one."

"Of course. Are you stalling?"

"No, I'm digging for scratching change."

Ianto pulled a coin from his pocket. It was thin and he shook his head. The first scratch-off was green and blue. To win the chance on television, one had to match four bells out of the six symbols. He matched three.

"Oh dear. Guess I won't be getting my fifteen minutes."

"My turn, then." Lisa picked out a purple one with yellow etchings. Same principle as the bells, only with stars. Three matches again.

"Lady luck's taken a vacation."

"Oh, Ianto. This isn't Vegas. Your turn again."

"No, no. You go. I want to have the suspense of the last ticket. I know that dread must be killing you."

She threw daggers with her eyes at him playfully. "Fine then. Do you want silver or red?"

"Leave me the red one."

Lisa matched four symbols this time, but they were for cash. "Ten quid redeemable, that's not too bad."

"No. You'd send Martin into cartwheels. Alright, let's get this over with."

With a sigh and no aplomb, Ianto scratched off five bells. A little musical feature played on the card and then asked for his thumb print for show identification purposes and to send it back with the return envelope provided. A representative would be contacting them in a week or so.

"Looks like it was our lucky night, Ianto."

"Lucky indeed?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter!"

To be continued...

Prompt 11: Red


	19. Chapter 19

They didn't tell Martin until the day before their appearance. As Lisa had predicted, he did cartwheels. Well, not in the office. But he looked as though he'd done cartwheels. And he only talked about it every sixth minute afterwards. Pretty soon, the whole place was rather stuffed with the hoopla.

They began to watch the show so as to get an idea of what to expect. It was pretty standard. There was a cute but rather annoyingly silent woman to show off the wheel, family members smiling and waving from the stands and an old movie actor playing the television host. Unfortunately, it was not Eric Idle. Ianto really liked Eric Idle too. He must have been on holiday. After spinning, whether they had won or lost, more often it was lose all or win one hundred quid based on the spinning wheel, the contestants from colonels to little old grandmothers, went to meet Terrance Sanford behind the stage.

"You don't get nervous around millionaires, do you, Ianto?"

"I'll only babble if he's stunningly gorgeous."

"Well, now I'm reassured."

In the first week, only one slice of the wheel had a black ten thousand quid mark. By the end of the week, three wheel spots had them and several people had won. Ianto tried mentally keeping track of all the contestants, but stopped after the third show appeared.

Ianto and Lisa were sent on another field mission, this time they were told not to fall in time rifts featuring ancient Cardiff in memo form, when a mysterious fire broke out in a grocery store in Sheffield. When they arrived on the scene, the store was half a charred shell and half swarmed with important people and randomly-assigned pc. Ianto and Lisa walked up to one of the latter, her arms folded across her chest.

"And what is your name?"

"PC Gwen Cooper." Her black hair was tied back and swung into the wind. Her Welsh accent was polite but slightly thick and she seemed bored and out of place.

"Any idea what occurred here?"

"I can't divulge that sort of information to the press, sorry."

"Oh, we're not press. We're...Lisa, how do you explain what we are?"

"We're insurance adjusters." Lisa was impressed with herself. She was becoming quite good at lying to PCs.

"Oh, well, you mustn't be kept waiting then. Shall I get you coffee while we go search out the sergeant?"

"PC Cooper!"

"Shit. Yes, Sergeant Dickson?"

"Send over those black ops right away! We've been expecting them!"

Gwen's face went pale and her lower lip was inhaled by her upper. She wasn't sure how to begin apologizing but Lisa began laughing. Ianto shot her a look.

"Sorry, but your face. Can we come in then?"

"Please, by all means. Lets not try and get me fired today."

"Don't worry, PC Cooper. Wouldn't want that to happen. We're just working class on assignment, like yourself."

Ianto heard her mutter as they walked toward the sergeant, "Working class my left eye. I'd best not get fired again."

There was no explanation for any of it. As far as they could tell, there had been a gas leak, but one look and Ianto knew there was no way it was so. As a boy, he had been taken pheasant hunting every now and then and this looked like the result of several muzzle guns exploding more than anything. The fire itself seemed to spread from two pile of ashes, one behind the counter and the other before it.

Ianto quirked his eyebrow at Lisa. "This was no gas leak."

"That's just what I was thinking. Best report back to Martin lest he think we've fallen through time again."

"I'm on it."

To be continued...

Prompt 52: Fire


	20. Chapter 20

"Your name, please?"

"Jones, Ianto Jones." He finally did manage to stammer out the words after the man seemed to appear out of nowhere.

The man wearing the headset was captivating and familiar. That chestnut brown hair was swept down into a very slick set of bangs and he wasn't dirtied with the forest or wearing leg linings, but he was a dead ringer. Ianto felt Lisa's fingers reach for the crook of his elbow and for her purse at the same time. She always carried a back-up piece of alien technology in these situations.

"Well," he quipped as he checked his clipboard, "you are here a bit early. Would you care for a refreshment?"

Ianto's brain was stuck between accusing the man of something and bolting for the door. Not that he was a coward, but if epic disasters were following this character than Ianto was pretty sure he was someone to avoid heavily. Even if it did mean not being hours early to an event which may or may not have been a Torchwood world-ending trap.

"Of course we would." Lisa's voice brought him out of his reverie.

"And you are?"

"Lisa Hallett. His..."

"Sister." Jack Harkness, who was now going by the name Abel Jacks, nodded as he checked his sheet and must have seen her name on the list or may not have cared if they were lying.

"Of course she is. Now, we'll need to get a bit of make-up on your brother's features for lighting, although with a cute face like that I can't imagine we'll need much..." Lisa glanced at Ianto as he felt the blushing crawl up from his neck back into his cheeks. "...and then afterwards you go to meet our benefactor. Is this alright with you? I'll also be back later with some paperwork for you and the other contestants to fill out, standard legal television appearance stuff."

They nodded as Abel led them through the wires and maze of studio to a very rewarding green room filled with things from cold cuts to bottled water and mini brownies, neither of which was able to set odds on a way of trapping Jack Harkness in his lie and next pseudonym. Ianto was still wondering what had happened considering he had been run through with a blade.

"Just knock if you need anything." In an instant, he was gone again.

Ianto sniffed at a piece of turkey while Lisa shrugged and unceremoniously tossed a brownie in her mouth. "Well, if this is a set-up it is one hell of a set-up, isn't it?"

"Lisa, if this isn't a set-up, I'll eat my favorite tie, which I know is the one you also don't like. In either case, at least we'll eat well, yah?"

And it was so.

To be continued...

Prompt 6: Hours


	21. Chapter 21

There wasn't much left to do but deal with the awkwardness of being crammed into a room with strangers and then try to find an amusing and colorful way of describing alien archivist to the whole of tuned in Britain. He settled on National Museum Guide and would elaborate only when necessary with some masterful gestures and fond memories of the Armory. At the very least, he'd bore them to death. And after all the prepping, Martin would be proud of him.

The main room with the bleachers and the wheel was not big enough when completely staffed and filled with supportive, and only about fifty percent greedy, family members and loved ones. As they waited, Ianto chatted with a lovely older grandmother with blue rinse in her hair and laugh wrinkles adorning the area underneath her large glasses. They spoke on thimbles for a solid ten minutes. He did so enjoy charming her. Abel winked at him when he returned for the questionnaire and paperwork.

The little stooped grandmother went first and scored one hundred quid while accompanied by the brainless co-host, bought because she looked pretty next to the wheel. There was mild clapping for her, amplified by the in-studio techs so that the audience seemed larger and was more supportive. The second was a former British colonel with a long moustache who hit a nothing portion of the puzzle.

Ianto's heart slightly ceased beating when his name was called. A nudge from Lisa later and he found himself staring at this wheel thinking that he was not quite tall enough for it. The lights were hot above him and the floor beneath him seemed to be sinking. He felt his hands move towards the wheel and then it began spinning into one ugly dull color somewhere between the green, white, and black.

For a second, it didn't register that he had won with a green puzzle piece. It didn't seem likely that he had just inherited a windfall of one hundred thousand quid. The number itself choked in his throat as Lisa beamed at him and clapped a little harder, thinking of a larger flat or a house with a nice puppy, maybe something near a park. Or perhaps leave Torchwood and open up a nice little coffee shop or library. Both Ianto and Lisa loved libraries and coffee so.

Ianto was ushered off-stage and didn't remember much of the meeting. It was clear that Mr. Sanford was an altruist and that was all Ianto remembered after shaking his hand. He met Lisa, still clearly stunned, and they left in a provided bus with a check and an armored guard a row behind them. The little old lady just glowed at him from across the way and waved.

He woke up the next morning feeling that nothing had changed, in fact feeling almost nothing at all. Only because of body heat was he aware of Lisa's hand over his, placed over his bare chest. His eyes shifted toward her drifting back into reality.

"Well, my lucky love, what shall we do today?"

"Work."

"We could call in sick." Ianto's silence was enough. She stretched and they prepared for another day of Torchwood brand chaos. Only this chaos was for them in the form of a party where Sherry made a wonderful chocolate cake with a cherry butter cream and vanilla frosting. Many jokes and balloons were tossed around until the report came in.

"Agnes Besterville is dead, Ianto." Martin's words rang in his ears, but he couldn't quite figure out why.

"Should we know who that is, Martin?"

"She was the woman who spun the wheel first last night. Died of spontaneous combustion, just like that other one."

To be continued...

Prompt 34: Not Enough (I'll post a master list as an epilogue when I'm done)


	22. Chapter 22

Ianto was feeling something very personal as he passed that yellow tape with Lisa at his heels. She decided not to let Ianto calm down this time, wanting to see how far the path went. She'd only seen him seething with any sort of anger before, and that time had more to do with Frederico than anything.

There was a doctor on the scene this time treating a Young Pioneer scout that Ianto tried to give some sort of empathy to, but failed miserably. His usual tact was gone.

"Just a moment, you know how I take my coffee, April."

"We're not April. Name is Jones. I'm with Torchwood. And my associate, Lisa."

"Torchwood? Well, let me just finish stapling up this brave young warrior and I'll be along in a moment." The doctor smiled at the gap-toothed nine year old as he finished with the final stitch and a conspiratorial wince. "There we are. Now let's get you back to your mum."

As the boy scampered back to the safety of his parents, the doctor introduced himself. "Name's Owen Harper, Mr. Jones. I presume you're lead on this case?"

"This, and another similar case."

"Bloody hell, you were on the show last night. I saw you."

"I'm flattered. But right now I'm more concerned about the woman who didn't live to see today."

"Well, that's where you are wrong, Mr. Jones. She did see this morning. It was only when the lad came around that she did not survive. It seems that she was quite a popular figure around the neighborhood. Not quite miserly, a real altruist with her money though. And always a lovely pie she made."

"Yes, yes. I'm quite sure she was a real church-goer with the fanciful hat and all that, but what happened, Doctor?"

"Well, miss. As far as I can tell, and I'm not sure a lovely young bird like yourself should know such gory details..."

"She's my fiancée, Dr. Harper, and we're equipped for what we need to do. Just do your explaining."

"Charming mate you've got there, miss."

"He's fired up. What can you tell us, Owen, was it?"

"From what we can tell, the boy managed to crawl away from the disaster thanks to the sturdy wooden door. It protected him from the blast. Seems he delivered her a package from her mailbox and she tried to slip him a fiver for it when she just disintegrated."

Ianto looked at Lisa, his eyebrows raised. "Just like with the other case, at the grocers."

Lisa nodded grimly. "What's your professional opinion, doctor?"

"Honestly? She didn't spontaneously combust. If that had happened, more of the house would be charred or blown-up than just the spot where she stood and the door. You want my opinion? I'm thinking of foul play."

"The child?"

"The money."

To be continued...

Prompt 72: Fixed


	23. Chapter 23

The money itself was unremarkable, which frustrated the hell out of everyone. Ianto spent most of the next day wearily trying not to nibble on his pencil while trying to make the connection he and Lisa had thought about and that Owen had voiced. There was no luck. And no amount of tact or coffee, or even threats, could get the studio to release the names of all the winners or contestants on the show. Not even to Torchwood.

"A bloody lot of good a secret alien fighting organization does when it can't even unfreeze legal documents from a game show."

Lisa hovered over the back of his chair, noticing the state of his tie. "We should head home. It's late and everyone else has gone."

"Lisa, I can't. Not before I know how to stop this or how to at least prevent another..."

"You're exhausted. I won't take no for an answer. And I'll make it worth your while." She smiled at him and her hand on his shoulder was all the incentive he needed. They headed home for some reruns of Babylon 5.

Ianto fell asleep, dreaming of himself as Captain Sheridan and Lisa playing Ambassador Delin. He woke up to an unlit apartment and a flat soda around two in the morning. Her jacket and car keys were gone. He muttered a Welsh obscenity under his breath and tried to stand, getting the best of vertigo.

Lisa was glad she had drugged Ianto with a bit of sedative and changed into a pair of flats. She was not glad for the feeling in the pit of her stomach as she looked up at the dark building with a singular light on it. She felt as diminutive as Ianto must have felt at that wheel. She knew it wasn't a smart or well-conceived plan, but she couldn't have more people just randomly exploding.

She tried the door, but it was jammed and locked. She began to work the door jamb with a credit card when she heard the gravel crunch behind her. She gulped before she turned to see Abel, his eyes amused. "Are you lost?"

Lisa narrowed her eyes and took the weapon from her purse. She had no intent to use it, she could kill a man with her pinky and a nail file if necessary, but no one was telling Abel, or was it Jack? She thought to herself, that.

"Hands above your head! I'm with Torchwood and you're going to open this door now!"

All he did was nod, his eyes going slightly wider as he saw how the weapon moved in her hands. He slid around her, always in her full view and they made their way into the darkened theater, the wheel making a triangle shape between the three.

"Well now what, Ms. Super Spy?"

"You're going to tell me what the hell you are doing here, what the hell is going on, and why contestants are dying!"

"In that order?"

"In that order."

"Okay." Abel took a deep breath. "One, I'm here on a mission from the Time Agency to apprehend a very dangerous gang of Synthetics, who happen to destroy planets by absorbing luck. Two is that my infiltration was almost complete except now another extremely confused good guy, excuse me, woman, is holding a weapon to my nose, which is extremely attractive might I add, and three is I don't know."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Because he's not lying." Lisa didn't dare turn around. But she knew that voice. That was the voice of Terrance Sanford.

To be continued...

Prompt 42: Triangle (Also, this sub-plot is entitled National Lottery and the other was Ancient Hoods. They'll be denoted at the end as well as the infamous to be continued thing right above the prompt)


	24. Chapter 24

Ianto could hear everything from his stack of boxes. At first, he had tried crouching by the car as she had lead Abel inside. But with the half mile walk from where the taxi had left him, Ianto was a bit too winded to remain crouching by a car, or a door for that matter, in a long space of time. So he and his groaning insides had compromised.

The scene itself was unremarkable for Torchwood operatives. The end game had come, the jig was up as it were, and now all that's left was explanations and resolutions. Hopefully, not a resolution that ended the life of his girlfriend or explained how in the devil Jack Harkness had survived being run through with a sword. Ianto listened closely.

"So. You are an alien then."

"Very good, Miss Hallett. I understand that you and your boyfriend work for Torchwood as well. By now you've most likely figured out the money was unremarkable until used. That's how we wipe our fingerprints of course."

"How did you know that I am Torchwood?"

"Synthetics are the least inept breed of aliens I've met in a long time. It's too bad you can't curb your vicious streak."

"Vicious? Why Abel, I'm appalled at your language."

"So surprised, Terrance? I wish you wouldn't be."

"Think of what we've meant to each other Abel, you could fight her with me." His voice was almost in a whisper. Ianto saw a sinister glint to his eyes as he inched closer and closer to Jack, who's adam apple was quivering violently while the rest of him stood still. Ianto wondered how hard it was having a well-built man, alien, in a suit that close speaking things like that into your ear. On second thought, he didn't want to know.

There was a voice from down below the boxes. "Hey you! Get down from there!" An ill-trained and a less than insightful security guard. Ianto mouthed "Shit!" to himself a time or two before he hesitantly climbed down. The second he jumped down and the security guard grabbed for his hands, a struggle ensued. The guard's gun went off, shattering a window and sending a lighting fixture crashing down upon the wheel.

"Not so lucky this time, are you?!" Jack bellowed.

Jack and Lisa raced behind the bleachers as the alien stumbled about, enraged and with weaponry.

"What are you going on about luck for?"

"Didn't you ever wonder about the game show and the greed factor? These things survive on the luck of other species. They'd been planning this for a very long time."

"Any suggestions, since you seem well acquainted with them?"

Jack peeked from behind the bleachers at the alien who was trying to pry glass lose from his wheel and getting angrier all the time. "He's in a human body cartridge right now and the only way to destroy them is while they are in the cartridges. Their bones, or what would pass for bones, reknit themselves within seconds."

"Oh fabulous."

"I'm coming, Lisa!"

"What you said."

Ianto was coming through the window, leaping at the frustrated alien. He ended up tripping while descending from a rope he borrowed from the back of the car, the part he hadn't used to tie up the security guard and stage a break-in. A bucket of some substance was kicked near the wheel and the alien watched as the light fixture, still sparking, lit up and engulfed him in flames. Later, reports would indicate money exploding all over Britain, but no more people.

"I'm sorry. Did I miss anything important?"

Lisa couldn't decide whether she wanted to smack him or kiss him.

"This is where we part ways again."

"You've saved our lives twice now, Jack."

"Hazard of the job."

"But who are you?"

"I'm not the Doctor, if that's what you're asking."

"Doctor Who?"

"Exactly." With that, he pressed various buttons on his Rift Manipulator and disappeared into the pull of time once again.

Prompt 64: Fall


	25. Chapter 25

Jack noticed the quiver begin in Ianto's lip before it traveled into his bones. They were slight tremors, off-set in time with the crescendo of far-away thunder. Jack loved the sharp little beat left by raindrops hitting the window and then rolling away. Obviously Ianto was not in that lot.

"What's wrong?" Jack moved his legs, giving Ianto a bit more room. Ianto didn't move closer, just stayed in his spot trying to control the sharp little movements.

"Nothing. There's nothing wrong." Ianto was a terrible liar these days. Correction, he could lie to everyone but Jack. It's like when someone sees your poker face. Once is usually enough.

"You're shaking. Is it the storm?"

Ianto threw his hands up. "It's not the storm I'm afraid of, Jack. I'm not a child!"

Jack didn't pry further, just pretended to engross himself in the movie. He felt Ianto move closer, felt strong arms move across his chest and the sighs of a Welshman whisper into him. Ianto slept using Jack as a pillow, remembering.

The thing was, Ianto wasn't afraid of the storm. He was afraid of the memories. It had only been a few years ago when a night like this one harbored one of their most fragrant experiences. Ianto remembered as he slept, almost as if it were an out of body experience.

The beach in Brittany offered the best viewpoint for the lunar eclipse. Lisa and Ianto were too excited to ignore the fact they wanted to go, even though she'd have to rush back for a test in the morning. Ianto himself wasn't dead set against the idea of camping, just hadn't really had it on the priority list. But Lisa had wanted the full experience and Ianto just couldn't seem to tell her no when she was that excited.

To be continued...

Prompt 70: Storm

Subtitle: The Infamous Camping Trip


	26. Chapter 26

The famous trip began at the department store, dubious signs in its wake. And by dubious, Ianto thought as he laughed, he meant getting caught looking at the hot Irish store clerk through the long-range telescope. That store clerk had taken to following him around the store and prattling off numerous details about various tents, and their poles, and various telescopes, and the various items you could see through them.

The clerk backed off, just slightly, when Ianto told him about the trip to Brittany and wanting to upgrade his dad's equipment for his girlfriend. While he was flattered, men were a thing he rarely looked at and never touched. Especially while he was in a relationship and Lisa was off on a field clean-up that morning. Ianto was straight, not blind.

His dad's equipment was not the most modern. In his younger days, they had tried camping with a torn tarp, just two rips but very strategic. He had spent the night leaning against a mossy log eating tinned ravioli to the sound of the mosquitoes sucking him dry. All in all, it hadn't been a pleasant experience, although Dad had made up for it the year after with a rafting trip. That had been the most extreme thing they had ever done.

Ianto smirked at his dad receiving a new tent for Christmas, after being given a trial by Ianto and Lisa. Ianto thought while he looked over the variety of camping tents. His mom would have liked Lisa, his father had told him quite often. His brother and two sisters, of which he was the middle, all seemed to like her. They had been together almost a year. If it weren't for Torchwood, he might have already asked her to...

"Mary, please pick up your ski equipment at the sales office, thank you!" The chirpy voice shook him from his reverie. He chose a dark green tent with three rooms, thinking of his father and future little ones going camping with him. Despite his dad seeming like a mousy tailor type, Jones Senior could be quite the naturalist, somewhat embarrassing even. He'd gone through the "we only eat organic foods" phase, which had lasted until the week up until his last birthday when Ianto had been sixteen. All of two weeks.

For some reason, he picked up a variety of just add water instant food mixes for the trip and a few granola bars. He planned to pack sandwiches and soup, but something in his gut made him purchase them. And Ianto rarely argued with his gut.

To be continued...

Prompt 90: Home


	27. Chapter 27

Ianto stood, scratching his head, while sand continued to seep into his tennis shoes. The beach was swarmed the night of the eclipse, tire tracks leading in various directions. Shrieking kids were moving with waves in the moonlight, teasing the water to claim them and then running back to their parents when splashed. Ianto and Lisa's sedate dark blue sedan had complained slightly about the change in conditions, but as Lisa watched from the seat and smiled, Ianto didn't care.

He tried to focus. Ianto was pretty sure he wasn't missing any pieces, but there seemed to be a cross shape piece that wasn't doing its job properly.

"I thought you said your dad had taken you camping?"

"Yes, well, we'd always used tarps. I thought we'd surprise him on his next birthday with this one. You know, maybe for future use." The words with grandchildren stuck to his throat presumingly.

Lisa opened her mouth to say something and then closed it rapidly and blinked a couple of times. She moved out of the seat and drifted over the sand in her flip flops. She scurried inside the flattened shape of the tent and Ianto could hear her muffled voice asking for some duct tape and a torch. He went back to the trunk and provided both.

Ianto watched the sea swell against the beach as the sun continued setting, just blank streaks of light purple still visible yet. He caught himself smiling as she exited the tent, now fully-functional, gripping the duct tape between her teeth. She mumbled something.

"What was that?" Ianto took the tape from between her lips.

"I said, when you need it to, duct tape can fix anything." Ianto smiled at her, wanting to kiss her badly at that moment. She beat him to it. As they parted, she headed back to the sedan, and picked out a variety of things, including a blanket and a homemade telescope. "You just going to stand there all night? Give me a hand?"

He moved slowly, his head still swimming from the kiss. He still found snogging her in public to be exciting, no matter how much like a school boy it made him. Yes, that tent would get a proper christening tonight. Ianto thought of himself as a cheeky bastard that moment. He'd have made his uncle quite proud.

"Where did you get that prism from?"

"Raleigh. He and Sherry will be watching from the Brecon Beacons tonight."

"Oh, that's why they weren't in work today."

"Nerds of a feather think together. Who did you think sent you the email about the beach here in Brittany?"

"You knew about that?"

"Ianto, darling, I know everything."

Ianto smiled as he knelt down and Lisa's mind began to piece everything together for the telescope.

To be continued...

Prompt 96: Writer's Choice- Duct tape


	28. Chapter 28

Running, it's always running. Even when we're not at work, there always seems to be a marathon going on. Ianto mused to himself as he panted and his calves burned from the unwarranted attention they had received. At least he hadn't been wearing silk. Naturally, Ianto had been separated from Lisa and the Doctor. Ianto was pretty sure he wasn't happy about that.

Some days, he wished he didn't work for Torchwood. Yes, they had amazing pay and yes, the staff was brilliant and fun to talk to. Yes, he liked his boss and yes, the excitement was wonderful. But once, just once, he'd like to have an event happen where his life wasn't in peril and he could just take Lisa back to the tent in the remission of the lunar eclipse and make sweet love to her. But no, not tonight. Tonight he was running for his life from, well, something in the shape of a cloud.

It had all begun in the exact final seconds of the eclipse. Lisa had noticed something moving in the edges of the telescope and had swung around to follow it. In the corners of his mind, Ianto had wanted to tell her to forget about it. But they did have a duty. She had always been right about that.

And so she had followed it, until the image had gotten closer and sharper. Two images, actually. One image had been of something that reminded Ianto of a rain cloud and the other was of a floating blue police box. They moved closer to the Earth, one being chased by the other. There was a flash, an after-flare. Lisa covered her eyes just briefly but Ianto chanced searing his sockets to see the cloud float to the cliffs just beyond their beach. He moved quickly, filling a backpack with food, torches, supplies, and maybe a reserve weapon or two.

"Do you think we should call for back-up?"

"We'd best determine what it is first. What do you think the possibilities are of it just being an intergalactic game of Sardines?"

Lisa tightened the laces on her cross trainers. "Slim to none."

So, they had walked up to the cliffs and into a large cropping of trees just beyond. It was ominous, no light save for the torches. There was fog in the forest, but it seemed more like steam and less like mist. There was a creaking sound made by something other than a bird. And then, they came across it. A blue police box. The moment was tense as the door opened.

Lisa bellowed. "This is Torchwood. State your name and reason for your visit."

"What a way to greet a person. Although you're not the most hostile species in all of existence. That bloody paranoia after that mimetic scare on Delphinia Sky made it quite a bother."

"You. You're human." He had large ears and very short hair. He wasn't exactly grinning, but seemed used to this sort of greeting, as if he'd double over in laughter at any second. Their eyes adjusted as he shut the doors of his ship.

"Something like that."

"So, you're humanoid."

"Correct, miss."

"Flattery will get you nowhere." Her weapon was trained on him. "Who are you and what were you chasing?"

"You saw me? Bloody Tardis, can't even make a quiet entrance." The Doctor mumbled the phrase and scratched a spot on his neck. He wasn't fond of weapons being trained on him.

"No, you were almost undetectable. I took a chance in the flair. We used a Sentashi crystal."

"Oi! I knew you blokes at Torchwood weren't as altruistic as I thought."

Lisa glance to Ianto and muttered. "Stop making friends with the enemy."

Ianto whispered back. "We don't know he's an enemy yet."

"Clearly, he's not to be trusted."

"But he does seem quite friendly."

"Excuse me..." The Doctor's voice seemed quite melodic. "I hate to break up this little lover's spat, but..."

"Hands where I can see them!" The Doctor did as Lisa told him. As he raised his hands, he pointed above their head and Ianto gaze followed.

"Lisa..."

"Not now Ianto! Who are you?! What were you chasing?!"

"Lisa..."

"Ianto, some other time!"

"I think you might want to pay attention to your boyfriend, miss."

"And why is that?"

Lisa's gaze moved to where he was pointing. Three very ominous clouds with fangs were bearing down upon the trio. The Doctor spoke first.

"I suggest you don't make any sudden movements or scream."

Lisa couldn't help it. She screamed.

To be continued...

Prompt 15: Blue


	29. Chapter 29

"Didn't I tell you not to scream?"

"Yes, well, it's not every day you're being chased by a carnivorous cloud!"

"To be fair..." the Doctor spoke while he panted and they hid behind a fern, "it's not carnivorous. It eats nearly everything."

"Well, that makes me feel better!"

"It's not my fault you had to be all charging in and guns blazing. I had it under control. Oh, look at me. I'm Torchwood. I protect the Earth and blunder about like a prat. La, la, la."

"You are such a strange man. And we don't blunder about."

"What would you call what just happened back there?"

"Losing my boyfriend and being chased by a cloud, that's what I'd call it."

"You're so observant."

"I didn't hear you come up with any brilliant plan."

"So, now you've decided to trust me?"

"It's not as thought I have much choice." The Doctor crossed his arms and smiled.

"Humans. You can never make up your mind."

"Keep talking like that and I'll make sure that whatever you thought of as humanoid before isn't afterwards."

"Threatening me? Now that's cheeky."

"You don't know me very well."

There was a scream in the distance. It was a cross between a yell and the sound of two cougars bashing each other about during mating season. Lisa and the Doctor both thought of Ianto at the same time and half crouched, half ran towards the noise. The words were getting darker.

They came to clearing and found nothing. No bones, no sign of disturbance of any kind.

"Well, the cloud didn't come this way."

"Not true." The Doctor used his sonic screwdriver and moved the beam across the floor of the small clearing. "There is residue from this species immune tract all over the place."

"And what is that then?"

"The only thing to warn us that the cloud has come back."

To be continued...

Prompt 53: Earth


	30. Chapter 30

The beam followed a trail of invisible slime that seemed to land right at the place the cloud's fangs were drooling from. Lisa was quite proud of herself in that she hadn't screamed yet. But her mind seemed to go blank upon seeing the alien.

"Doctor, any ideas?"

"Well, I'd say we run for it, but that's not a good idea. We should take comfort in the fact though that it will eat us whole and leave nothing behind."

"I'm not comforted by that fact at all."

"Any time, miss, any time."

They stepped back as the cloud stepped forward until they reached a natural ridge of trees blocking their path. Lisa tried her small pistol.

"What good is that going to do? It's a cloud!"

"Well, it was worth a shot!"

From behind the cloud, a rustle came forth. A young man was waving his arms about and distracted the cloud. He was throwing something toward it. The cloud moved back towards Ianto.

"Run, Ianto!"

"Not without you." He threw up the first brown package from his backpack, followed quickly by a second. He was running, the cloud was chasing him, followed swiftly by Lisa and the Doctor. The cloud decimated the package within seconds. A second and third package followed when Ianto tripped over a root.

He fell, thinking of how embarrassing an end it is when you're eaten by an alien cloud. There was a popping noise as the fangs bared down and Lisa turned away and then steeled herself again, planning on lunging at the cloud to save Ianto if she had to. But that first pop was followed by a second and then a third. The cloud was beginning to break up.

"Ianto! That's brilliant! One more mate!" The Doctor cheered him on and that brought Ianto from his stupor. He threw another package into the jaws. And the Doctor was correct. It was enough.

There was a change in the cloud's eyes, if they could be called that. They went from victorious to worried in a glance and then in another second a fourth pop followed the first three. The cloud broke apart nearly instantly, undigested camping rations having destroyed the alien. The Doctor approached Ianto.

"Alright then? That was brilliant!"

"Not really. I just hoped I would have enough to satiate him."

"Looks like you did the trick! Say, what are you doing out here? I'm flattered, really, but isn't Brittany a bit far for you to come traipsing just for little old me?"

"Well, actually, we were watching the eclipse."

"Only through a Sentashi crystal? I have a better idea. Sort of a thank you for helping me catch and destroy the being."

Prompt 37: Sound


	31. Chapter 31

Ianto's feet were swinging from the inside of the Tardis. Beneath his Oxfords were a veritable amalgamation of stars, gases, particles, and planets. He wore a pair of shades and was grinning madly. This close and yet so protected from the eclipse. In his wildest dreams he never imagined it.

"Coffee?"

"How'd you know?"

"Just something to take the chill off, yan."

Ianto grabbed Lisa's arm as she moved away from the doorway. "You haven't called me that in a very long time."

"I know." It was a whisper meant for no one to hear.

The Doctor watched, bemused and slightly concerned. The pair combined weren't even of an appropriate age for the things of Torchwood and the things he saw. Sure, it took a bit of vigor and youth but it didn't seem fair pushing the best and obviously brightest into the universal spotlight in such a way.

"You know, I've never had anyone that could stand swinging their feet outside of my Tardis into the infinite vastness of space."

"And I've never met such a hospitable person. You know, you're not half bad. For an alien."

The Doctor shrugged as Lisa leaned on the Tardis control center. "And you're not too bad. For a human, that is."

"He's quite unique."

"You love him."

"I suppose I do."

"You know that you won't remember any of this in the morning. I can't let you."

"I know, Doctor. But for now, seeing him like this. That's the man I fell in love with. The one with the cosmos at his gallant feet and the stomach to handle it."

"You two are destined for great things if you keep this up."

"That, dear Doctor, might be the greatest compliment we've ever received."

"I think I'd like very much for the pair of you to come with me."

"What?"

"I mean, see the universe and forget Torchwood. There's so much out there to be explored and to see it all...I need to refuel in London anyways and look into several incidents involving people made of plastic. You'd have time to get affairs in order if you needed to."

Lisa shook her head. "No, I think we'd best stick with Torchwood. They need us. And you need us there. Robin made us promise."

"What was that last part?"

"Nothing. Just nothing important."

"I see. Well, what's say we think of a fun way for you too to wake up?"

"I think just waking up on the beach can be quite fun."

"Sure you want to? Might be rain tomorrow."

"Doctor!" Lisa's eyes widened.

"Nothing important though."

"I think it might be time we returned home, Lisa." Ianto reached his hand across Lisa's back, grinning madly while returning the Doctor his sun shades.

"Ianto, you need some louder shoes."

"I've been telling him that for years."

"Oxfords. Classic and silent. Just like me."

Lisa snorted. This was the life she had always wanted. And for once, even if she couldn't remember it, she would be completely happy.

Prompt 87: Life

Subtitle: That Infamous Camping Trip (End)


	32. Chapter 32

"Jack! That's popcorn all over my white berber!" Ianto reached for the remote and stopped the disc as it whirred in the machine. Katharine Hepburn's face froze in modest immortality.

"I know what it is Ianto." Jack made a mock defensive face before reaching for the bowl. "I can't help that this is the funniest movie I've ever seen."

"You've lived and seen the end of the world and this is the funniest movie you've ever seen?"

"Well why do you like it? This was your idea after all. Dinner a movie, a night in. Remember?"

"I do indeed. Well, the first time I saw it with Lisa we were..."

"Oh."

"No, I think I can talk about it now. I just, I just remember. It was about sixth months before I proposed and a month before I found out about her miscarriage."

"You and her were...?" Jack's eyebrow shot up.

"I wasn't supposed to know. Her mother thought otherwise. I knew it was something when she went to see Carrie. She wasn't very fond of the woman, very puritan thoughts."

"Much like Jeffrey. We're a very knowledgeable family."

"You don't sound devious enough."

"Devious? I can be devious."

"Don't wiggle your eyebrows at me like that Jack!"

Jack leaned in and whispered. "I'd hang you from the nipples but I'd shock the children."

Prompt 28: Children

Subtitle: Our Favorite Movie (Part 1)


	33. Chapter 33

"My God, I love being king."

Lisa's looked over at Ianto. "I can remember someone else who was as smug as that."

Ianto stopped the dvd, puzzled. "When did I ever pretend to get someone married to ruin England?"

"That's not what I'm talking about."

"Frederico?"

"Yes. That night we spent at Boar's Head. Do you remember that?"

"I can't seem to forget it. And who's idea was it to be taking pictures?"

"I refuse to take credit for it."

"I thought you wanted to watch the movie?"

"I do! How could you not love this movie?"

"I wouldn't know. You talk all the way through it."

"I quote lines. It's not like I'm chatting on my cell phone at the cinema. Besides, you're the one who said "here's daddy!" when we were watching Star Wars and my younger cousin was in the room."

"No one had told me Beatrice hadn't seen Star Wars."

"She was only seven!"

Lisa threw a bit of popcorn in Ianto's face. "Oi! Not on the berber!"

"Oh loosen up, Ianto." She snuggled into him as she settled again. "The best movie of all time. We're allowed to have such fun with things you know."

"No we are most decidely not. If you haven't noticed I'm not Peter O' Toole and you're not Katharine Hepburn."

"But we could be. Let's get married. Right now. We'll do what they did minus the use of Alice as a pawn. Let's just go get married."

Ianto was stunned. He'd been thinking on it and hadn't come to a certain solution. He'd watched people ruin their lives with marriage and yet...

"So that's your answer." Lisa's face fell. "Turn the movie back on. I knew you were just like the rest of them." Her voice was sullen and listless.

"That's not it. You know I don't like to rush into things and I told you about my great uncle."

"Oh yes. Norman. The one who moved to Salt Lake City."

"I just don't want to be like that."

"Are you planning on cloning me and making six copies?"

"Not in this century."

"You can't be that unhappy with just one wife."

"Let's turn the movie back on."

Lisa smirked sadly and quoted a favorite line. "2 months and 18 days. I made the numbers up."

Prompt 24: Family

Subtitle: Our Favorite Movie (Part 3)


	34. Chapter 34

"That's what tapestries are for."

Ianto looked around his house. It didn't feel like a home anymore. The movie blared on, the dim lights blinking across the almost barren living room. It had been tradition to watch this movie with Lisa on the third Saturday of the month they'd met. It was an easier anniversary to remember and it hearkened back to a happier time. The Ellen Marriott Scholarship for Excellence. Ianto thought of it and smiled, wiggling his toes in his socks.

He hadn't made popcorn this time. Lisa had always been more fond of it than he. Ianto had never been very fond of it. She hadn't eaten popcorn in a very long awhile and probably never would again. Jack had advised Ianto to remove everything. To box up the memories. Lisa Hallett, Torchwood One advisor to technology. Two doors down in the storage unit from Suzie Costello. Talk about life being incredibly unfair.

Ianto turned the dvd off while his vision blurred. He let it happen, sinking a bit more into his couch with his feet reclined on the coffee table. He was wearing an old concert shirt she had found for him at a charity shop and a pair of pajama bottoms she had bought for him. They were white with mint green stripes on the side.

This had always been his favorite scene. The only flicker of recognizing Anthony Hopkins. The deadly game kings played. The tapestries. Ianto looked around at his dark walls. Perhaps, just perhaps, he could use some tapestries to cover the beige.

Lisa would have already quoted the line if she were here. But she wasn't and he was left to carry on empty traditions. Sure, he could have called Carrie or Beatrice. But he was reminded of her and they hated him. She had stayed in London to be with him. She had loved him and been devoted even though she could have moved to New York and made three figures more.

Ianto had killed her dreams and then tried to save her. And watched her die twice more. Once while perfecting the set-up in the Hub and then at the hands of Jack Harkness, who had swept through his home and removed all evidence of a female habitation. The only thing he'd left was the purple towel on the rack of the bathroom. Ianto had gone into a rage, waking from his stunned and somber inner destruction, just long enough for Jack to leave the towel. But with instructions that Ianto would have to do it sooner or later. What Jack didn't realize was that there were orange flowers on the edges and a bright parrot in the center.

"I have no sons." Ianto was brought back to the present and gripped himself inward, dealing with his grief without outward display. It had been by pure accident that he had discovered her miscarriage. The physiology report from the equipment he had stolen from the charity hospital auction for her. The things he had done wrong for her. The things he was, no doubt, making up for now.

Ianto stopped the movie to go make popcorn. It wasn't right not to have it. He may hate it, but tradition wasn't always pleasant. Tradition was just what it was.

Prompt 59: Food

Subtitle: Our Favorite Movie (Part 2)


	35. Chapter 35

"Oh my piglets. We are the origins of war."

The man holding the revolver seethed with rage. He knew codewords to get into the tower. He could mask his face to look like anyone in the building. The cult of Visigoth had sent in an operative after months of threating letters. He must have been no more than seventeen. His hand shook, but whether it was with fear or rage was not known.

"Now just be calm. You wouldn't want to do anything rash, would you?" Ianto's hands were stretched across his desk and Lisa's favorite coffee mug, still lying warm and full. He gasped at the sight of the boy's hand through his dark green cloak. Those bastards were using sixteen year olds. "Will you at least give us your name?"

"Not history's forces nor the times nor justice nor lack of it."

"We can find you safety. All I need is a name. Just a first name. My name is Ianto." He pleaded with the kid. The gun shook unsteadily in his hand. Ianto could pick up on Lisa, furiously typing at her PDA, getting through each firewall UNIT had in place for such an emergency. They had disabled the phones and the elevators. The entire floor of Torchwood was being seized. Ianto imagined the sound, the feel of hot metal exploding from the end of the child's revolver.

"Nor causes nor religions nor ideas. My name is Gerald."

"Well, Gerald, that's a very respectable name. Is it a family name?"

"I shouldn't talk to you. You're the enemy. You're under citizen's arrest, bringing all these dangerous things from other planets. Dirty things."

"Who told you that?"

"We carry it like syphilis inside dead bodies rotting field and stream because the live ones are rotted!" His eyes flashed fiercely and the gun stopped shaking for a second. Martin was coming around behind the lad. He was alone. Ianto didn't want to see him hurt, but for the love of God he didn't want to be shot. He felt for the kid.

"Would you like to know a secret?" Gerald shook his head, gasping for breath as his resolve wavered. "I'm scared of you with that gun. We don't bring the technology here. We make sure its safe and used only when wisely and necessarily needed. We want to protect humanity, maybe enlighten it. Is there shame in that? Gerald is quite an honorable name. Did it belong to your father?"

"For the love of God can't we love each other?"

"For that is how peace begins."

"You know that movie?"

"The Lion in Winter. My girlfriend and I..." Ianto looked down at Lisa, who shook her head. It took all of his strength to drag her from beneath the desk. "...we love that movie. We think it's brilliant."

"Katharine Hepburn changed my life."

"Do you think she'd be standing here fighting us, Gerald? Or applauding us?"

"I was sent to do a job."

"But we could help you."

"It's 1183 and we're barbarians!" A tear trickled from his eye and his face turned a brilliant shade of red as he squeezed the trigger. Ianto grabbed onto Lisa and Martin took a rolling dive at the boy. The gunshot exploded against a sprinkler, triggering the system. Lisa hit Ianto in the arm.

"Can we have one week where you don't play the hero?!"

"My God, it's good to be King."

"Oh shut up, Ianto. My coffee's ruined."

Prompt 84: He

Subtitle: Our Favorite Movie (Part 4 of 4)


	36. Chapter 36

"What did you say?" His mind was a bit groggy. The last thing he remembered was watching the window of her flat fog up while he wrote messages on it. Ianto was sure he should have been paying attention.

"I asked if I was boring you." Lisa's voice was impatient, as though she already knew the answer.

"How could you tell a thing like that?"

"Oh, I don't know. It might be that you almost drooled heavily on one of my throw pillows." Lisa's foot tapped against her chair.

"What time is it?" Ianto looked around, still slightly groggy and moving the pillow with rose centers around, back to its proper place.

Lisa groaned. "We're going to have to buy you a watch, Ianto."

Ianto shook his head. "Never wear one. I'd just end up losing it."

It occurred to Ianto that from an outside point, this whole friendship and conversation thing that they had going could look amazingly like sex. After all, Ianto had spent the entire night alone in Lisa's flat in Lisa's room on Lisa's bed, several times. To Frederico, it was sex; no matter how much Ianto argued. But Ianto couldn't even bring himself to think about that. True, she was exhilarating and gorgeous. Most importantly, she was intelligent. She was the perfect woman, if only for Ianto. He craved time with her but didn't exactly crave her.

"And here I thought you were the perfect gentlemen."

"Well," Ianto yawned, "even perfect gentlemen get tired occasionally. And it's not as though I didn't know you were working on a screensaver to compete over the current one. Further, I knew it was possible but I never had the time nor the inclination to pursue it."

"Which makes me what?" Lisa quirked an eyebrow in his direction.

"Lovely…I mean, smart." Ianto caught himself before he jumped up. It would never do to kiss her now. Ianto found himself wanting to rise and take her arm. He wanted to touch her, but just briefly. Then he wanted to be blessedly normal for just an instant. He didn't want to talk of things like screen savers any longer. Ianto wanted to speak of waffles or eggs, coffee with sugars. Ianto wanted to discuss issues in the newspaper. Ianto wanted very badly to kiss her and to love her.

"Nice save. But if you're not going to pay attention, then I'm just going to start over."

Ianto had an idea. "Waffles!"

"What was that?"

"I mean…I'll return shortly."

Lisa shrugged and returned to her keystrokes, rapid-fire clicking assaulting Ianto's sleep deficit and the fog on his brain. _Two months since the party and she hasn't approached me once about dating_, he thought. _I'd best take matters into my own hands then._

There was an odd sort of dawn light floating sharply in from the windows, past the curtains made of a sheer deep blue material. Moving quickly past the kitchen and out the door, he shut it. After a time, Ianto found himself knocking against her front door.

During the first interim, there was no response. The second time he heard Lisa call his name, as though she hadn't noticed the absence. The third knock witnessed a hesitant coming. The door mercifully opened and a startled Lisa blinked as she witnessed the flowers coming across the doorstep in Ianto's hand.

"So…you came around knocking with flowers? You were just here."

"Well, yes, but flowers are generally how one pick's up a person for a first date, is it not?"

"Date? Isn't that what we've been doing all this time?"

Ianto looked around for a vase. "Well, don't you think we might as well make it official?" His gaze centered on Lisa. "You're gorgeous and smart, the perfect woman for me. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't attracted to you. Now, I know of this place that makes waffles. They're rather noisy, however, this early…."

Ianto was stunned, almost losing the grip on his flowers. Lisa was bringing herself forward to kiss him.

Prompt 56: Breakfast

Sub-Title: Dates to Remember (Part 1)


	37. Chapter 37

There was always some kind of protest underfoot. Gatherings like this were common. Lisa felt that the version of change others were using was outmoded, but what other way was there to argue? To feel as though you weren't just a cog in the machine? Lisa wanted to work smarter, not harder. But hacking website codes wasn't going to get more funds for Amnesty.

There had been this girl earlier in the week, couldn't escape the news. To shelter herself from the country's brand of austere punishment, being stoned to death, Lisa had joined the milling queue of students protesting the actions of the Middle Eastern country in solidarity. They were trying, and somewhat hopelessly failing, to acquire enough awareness and funds to help bring the girl to England. What worried Lisa is what would happen to the poor girl afterwards, even if they could bring her to England.

There was a dull ache in her arms. Lisa no longer wanted to hold any signs or chant any more peaceful slogans. Reaction would only be brought by an action, in this instance. Where were the bullhorns, the police waiting on the fringe with riot gear? Was it only her blood that was boiling?

"You must be cold."

"Ianto…" Their lips met just briefly.

"And tired."

"I'm tired of holding this sign. No one's listening."

"You might think so, just standing out here. But I've brought lunch."

"Don't you care about this one little girl? You can't be that heartless. Do you think she's no more than a historical statistic? I overheard you saying that to Deana."

"That may be true, but I think you took me out of context."

"Ianto, what are you going on about?" Lisa's foot began to tap against the ground as Ianto began to gently remove the sign from her hand.

"I'm talking about funds for Amnesty for the girl."

"Yes?" Lisa's eyes grew slightly wider and sharper.

"I remember you telling me about what Amnesty could do and then I held a sort of bull session with Fred. Seems that opportunities like these are exactly what my flat mate and his fraternity brothers have been looking for. They're hosting a fundraiser among themselves and alumni next week. There's already a pledge for two thousand pounds match from a banking CEO."

"Oh Ianto." Lisa gasped, gratefully dropping her sign into his hand. "How did you…?"

"All it took was a bit of creativity, my dear." The hint of a proud twinkle appeared in Ianto's eye as he smiled. "Now, how about some lunch?"

"I'd love it."

Prompt 57: Lunch

Sub-Title: Dates to Remember (Part 2)


	38. Chapter 38

"We're running late, Ianto." Lisa called back over her shoulder.

"Even if we make this…." Ianto called breathlessly, feeling slightly strangled by his tie.

"There is no if." Lisa stopped, turned, and glared at Ianto in a way that made his fingernails shrivel. "Why do you always have to be so negative?"

Ianto skimmed past Lisa and called back towards her. "If we stop to argue then we're not going to make it at all."

Lisa sighed and hurried to catch up, her high heels clacking against the still slightly wet pavement. Indeed, they had missed their transfer.

Lisa was slightly out of breath as they reached the dark ticket counter. "Well, now what?"

"Food court." Ianto pointed to a spot farther off.

"Oh no. If we get side-tracked…then we'll never…"

Lisa sank down into a nearby chair and Ianto felt his heart crumple inwards a bit. She seemed so depressed at that moment. "Lisa, why is this so important? It's just a dinner with your mum."

Lisa stared at her bag as she replied. "I know. It shouldn't really matter. We can always just reschedule. It's just that she so busy working with World Health in New York that she doesn't get home except for about four times a year. And I didn't want her to think…"

"That I was a jerk? A flake?"

Lisa shook her head and looked up into Ianto's eyes. She sighed. "Imaginary."

"Imaginary?"

Lisa nodded, on the verge of hysterical laughter. "Seems rather silly doesn't it."

Ianto cocked his head and then leaned down on one knee. "Doesn't seem silly at all to me. If it's important to you. We'll just have to reschedule or find a way to get her out here is all. And as for imaginary…"

Ianto usually bothered to glance around before he kissed Lisa, but his gaze remained firmly planted for once. "Does that feel imaginary to you?"

Lisa, stunned, touched her lips briefly. "How is it you always know the right things to say?"

Ianto shrugged and smiled. "I think it's a gift. Just stay right here a moment. I'll find you a tissue."

He rummaged through his bag and Lisa watched. Usually Ianto was on top of being packed for a weekend. It seemed rather odd for him to be disheveled. But it was with an a-ha that he pulled something from the bag that did not remind Lisa of a Kleenex box.

"Ianto…"

"I thought I'd pack something, just in case." He opened the steaming containers and Lisa spied lemon chicken over fried rice, homemade leftovers from their date last night.

With that, Ianto loosened his tie to reveal a black shirt, underneath his button down with a hint of purple lettering, before tucking into dinner with Lisa. It was the vintage Who shirt she had found for him at a boot sale.

Prompt 59: Dinner

Sub-Title: Dates to Remember (Part 3)


	39. Chapter 39

Ianto's gaze moved tentatively toward the ominous sky. "I think it's going to rain."

Lisa checked her watch and then pushed impatiently through the doors, Ianto heaving a sigh as he followed. "I don't care. If I have to stay in the building five more minutes, I'll…"

"Do what? Scream? That would be dramatic."

Lisa walked briskly through the semi-cold, hands shoved in her pocket with Ianto's arm through hers. "Well that **would** get my point across."

"I don't think Brokowski would take kindly to screaming during the lab."

"Oh, like I care what that bloody American thinks." Lisa was as calm as the sky. Truth be told, this teacher infuriated her to no end. This Minnesotan who thought he was the god of binary, sponging all his ideas off of star pupils. It hadn't helped that Ianto was only on the other side of wall in one of his elective classes. "Let's go for a coffee."

"I'd better pay. In your state, you're liable to just throw money at the cashier and injure her with a paper cut."

The student cantina was musty and chaotic, nowhere near abandoned. The tail end of the dinner rush at a university was a dangerous wave to surf. But Ianto reflected as they found a pair of quiet chairs near the steps of the stage. "I'm glad we got inside before the rain started. Would've ruined my shirt."

Lisa had calmed down a bit. "Yes, well, they've invented this wonderful material called cotton Ianto. Have you heard of it?"

"What's wrong with the way I dress?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, per say. It's just so…"

"Old school? Stuffy?"

"Formal."

"Well, my dad always did say…never mind."

Lisa quieted down a bit as she sipped her dark blend. "We've never talked about your dad before."

"Never had a reason to, I suppose." Ianto shifted the weight on his feet, kicking his bag absentmindedly.

"Was he a bad man?"

Ianto shook his head. "Just the opposite. He was a good man, loving, in his own way. Spoke in many parables, tailored my first suit for Aunt Sallie's wedding."

"He was a tailor?"

"Very deft, organized, responsible; the best kind of workman to look up to. He wasn't very much for sport, save for camping. He loved hiking at the right time of year."

There was a slight boom and rattle as the storm started. Lisa jumped slightly.. "Is he the reason you wear suits even though you don't like them much?"

"You can tell?"

"Only after a long day." Lisa smiled warmly.

_She's my kind of rain_

_Like love in a sunset sky_

_Confetti raining down all night_

_She's my kind of rain_

Ianto thought a moment. "My best guess is that his theory had to do with a projection of success. If you dress well and feel well, then you live well. So I wear suits to live out that practice."

"You don't have to."

"Old habits die hard Lisa."

"He must have been a very practical man, then?"

Ianto nodded, almost as a grimace. "Very much so. Luxury and spontaneity were never his strong suit. Blamed such flippant a waste of resourced on the birth of the middle class. I usually tuned him out when the rant took him back to the French Revolution. Leisure was his only sore spot."

"How did you ever not grow bored?"

"You learn little tricks to spice up the rut your life becomes."

Lisa tilted her head in concern. "What would your dad say of me?"

_She sits quietly there_

_Like water in a jar_

_Says, Baby, why are you_

_Trembling like you are?_

"He'd probably kiss your hand and hold out a chair for you. He's not a fool. Father would see your beauty right away."

"Oh stop, Ianto. You're going to make me blush."

Ianto smiled warmly. "That was the idea."

Frederico walked by, dripping slightly and Ianto pulled on the back of his jacket. His gaze was far and away. "How bad is the storm?"

"Not bad. Tell me, Ianto, how do you handle this food?" His tray was piled with an odd assortment of things he'd probably do no more than pick at.

"Us mere mortal don't have valets to cook for us." Lisa blinked, observing the young and powerful Frederico, who was too skinny and disinteresting for her taste.

"We don't have a valet." Frederico turned his head sharply to his flat mate. "Have you been telling her we have a valet?"

Ianto shrugged as he removed his hand from Frederico's tan coat, made darker by the rain. "Don't know where she got that idea."

"The rain's not too bad. Just having to be here for this bloody team meeting…I tell you…I'm suggesting a more suitable location next time…"

"Don't be out too late. Tomorrow's a school day." Ianto grinned innocently and Frederico walked away grumbling. Lisa burst out laughing and Ianto almost dropped his coffee following suit.

"It feels good to laugh." Ianto grinned heartily.

_She's the sun set shadows_

_She's like Rembrandt's light_

_She's the history that's made at night_

_She's my lost companion_

"Yes, it does. It also feels good to throw in an unpredictable element every now and then." Lisa's eyes twinkled with a bit of mischief as she leapt from the table with her back.

"What do you mean?" Ianto tailed after, until they were at the doors that barred them from the storm. "We're not going out there. I'll ruin my shirt. You know how hard it is to get these shirts dry without wrinkles?"

Lisa rolled her eyes. "That's not the point, Ianto. Come on."

Literally almost shoved out the door, Ianto found himself in a world charged with lightning. Above them, the storm rumbled and the wind and rain hit in light bursts of misting rain. His shirt got soaked and his pants followed when Lisa splashed him in a big puddle.

_She's my dreaming tree_

_Together in this brief eternity_

_Summer days, winter snows_

_She's all things to behold_

That was all it took for a chase to begin. They found themselves treading water as they splashed and chased each other playfully. Exhausted and with wet drops clinging to almost sheer clothing, Lisa collapsed into Ianto.

_She's my kind of rain_

_Like love from a drunken sky_

_Confetti falling down all night_

_She's my kind of rain_

He laughed deeply as his jacket served for an umbrella as they stood beneath a giant tree, its branches bare of leaves. Ianto held her and watched the sky, grinning. Feeling alive had not felt so good in so very long.

_She's my kind of rain_

_Like love from a drunken sky_

_Confetti falling down all night_

_She's my kind of rain_

A/N: Song is owned by Tim McGraw (not me!) and this is a drabble for prompt 66: Rain. Hope you enjoyed it.


	40. Chapter 40

"This is the last time I warn you, Frederico." His voice and his fist rolled with anger.

Fred sighed, feeling out of control of the situation, which was not pleasant. Even his prepared speech hadn't come in handy. "I know."

"No, I don't believe you do know. I've tried time and time again…"

Fred shook his head, bangs falling down near his eyes. "…To stress the importance of this mission."

The older man with slicked back black hair allowed his eyes to bead down past his vulturous nose. "Then why, pray tell, do you allow the company to have doubts in your loyalty?"

"It wasn't my fault!" Fred jumped from his chair, pushing his arms out and then thrusting them into his pockets. He walked briskly toward the Venetian blinds. Forty stories down was the bustling street.

"You introduced them."

"How was I supposed to know she was going to be at that gathering?"

"It's your job to know." Vance's voice was accusatory on it's best day.

"Well, what do you suggest I do now?" Fred's blood was boiling slightly. This early in the morning that kind of feeling was not welcome. It created a lack of focus in him.

"Fix it." The older voice hissed and Fred turned. His palms slammed down on the man's stark silver desk.

"So you suggest I break them up? Allow them to be miserable?"

"From what I understand, they aren't that happy." His voice was flat.

"Father…" Fred implored Vance to have a bit of reason and to see the scenario from his point of view.

"Don't father me. You signed up for this assignment, Fred, remember that. If anything should interfere with our plans…"

Fred sighed. "Yes, I know. You only remind me on a weekly basis."

Fred's father rose. "We'd lose everything if the Doctor were to come in contact. Lumis' research is the most important we have. Keeping Hallett and Jones from Torchwood Three is the most important assignment I could have given you."

"But the prophecy only refers to the Time Lords."

"Ah yes! The goodly Doctor and the twisted Master. You've studied the prophecy well, no one will dispute that. But Jones and Hallett are related to him."

Fred leaned back into his chair, resigned. "They're just children."

"That doesn't matter. With a mind like Jones for archiving and a mind like Hallett for technology, they could discover and decipher the code to bring the Doctor together with her."

"But Rose is already onboard! That stupid mannequin project…" Fred felt the need to pass the blame on to someone, anyone, else.

"That was not my fault. However, I will not have the tenth regeneration interfering!"

"We may have no choice. Take heart Father, Jones doesn't suspect a thing."

"And what about Ms. Hallett?"

"She's smart, I'll give her that. But she's not paying close enough attention."

"Good. For now, just watch them. And remember what happened in New York. No more slip-ups or you will be terminated."

"I won't let you down Father."

"You'd best not."

Prompt 27: Parents

Subtitle: Torchwood Four (Chapter 1)


	41. Chapter 41

"Ianto, you are the quintessence of boring." Frederico sat at the table, the keys on his laptop clicking away vigorously underneath his masterful fingers. His voicemail was full, but Fred had decided that he'd better get on with this week's assignment before taking his "amusement" break.

Ianto was to be found in the other room, the door opened just large enough a crack that Fred could peer around the corner and watch Ianto posture in his mirror as he tried to find the right coordinating color pattern. Upon hearing his quip, Ianto shouted through the crack in his door. "Coming from you, that's a compliment."

Fred saved his document, closing his laptop and blinking. "Ah. And I suppose that's she just going to stay with boring old Ianto."

Ianto came out of his room, blood boiling. He hated Frederico for the insinuations he made. It was clear he favored Lisa for reasons Ianto could fathom. It was just that kind of man that Ianto was doing his best to protect her from. "At least boring old Ianto could give her something you couldn't."

Frederico inhaled, appearing to enjoy the first argument of the week. "And what's that? A long period of hibernation?"

"No." Ianto's mouth formed a response the split second after his brain communicated it. "Respect. I understand her. I've gotten to know her before I get to _know_ her. A common man like you could never understand."

"Common?" Frederico scoffed as Ianto walked back into his room, swagger apparent, convinced the argument was won. "You're joking, aren't you? I have the money, the intelligence, and the connections. What do you have? Hardship with a touch of love?" Fred's voice poured with liberal amounts of sarcasm and his body language did much the same. "Oh, Tiny Tim? Won't you melt my heart?"

He could hear Ianto's voice as his lips curled into a sneer. "Don't you dare play playboy martyr with me." His tie now sufficiently knotted, he returned to the common room with a small pin for decoration that matched his cuff links. "Think that you're better because you don't have to eat in the cafeteria. But what do you have? I wouldn't trade my entire life for your money because it's dirty. There's no respect for it, purely love for the thing-for the symbol. I pity you. You'll never have what I have."

"It would take me quite a few plates of ham and chips to get there."

Ianto didn't have another response, which did not necessarily mean that Frederico had won that round of the war. _More and more frequent attempts at assassination of my character_, Ianto thought as he left the door of the flat with a slam and a shake of his head. _I shouldn't fight with him. That poor bastard doesn't need me to achieve a rude awakening_.

Frederico nodded to himself, looking at the closed door. _Another fight, another nail in the coffin_. He hoped against hope that Ianto would get fed up with him. There would be no way for his father to blame him if Ianto just left one night. Not everything was in control when the human element was involved. _The only way to really protect you from yourself and from me is to make you angry enough. That's the only chance we've got for you, Ianto. Don't let me down, you genius fool. Make the choice to walk away while you still can._

Prompt: 86 Choices

Sub-Title: Torchwood Four (Chapter 2)


	42. Chapter 42

"You've got to stop pacing, Ianto. You'll wear a hole in my rug." Lisa thought as she continued finishing the final equation in her notebook, _Thank God he's not hovering this time_.

Ianto was wringing his knuckles a brilliant shade of white. There was too much testosterone left in him. "Just, the very nerve of that man!"

"Why don't you move out then?"

"Why don't I move out? Why don't I move out? Why don't I move out..." Ianto blinked, ceasing his stalking around the room for just a moment. "I can't think of a reason, but it's there. I'm sure of it."

Lisa groaned as she shut her notebook. "Oh, Ianto. You're such a creature of habit."

"Yes, well, all the good ones that is."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Will you grab my luggage case from under the bed please?"

"May I ask why?"

"I didn't want to tell you because I knew you'd get me a gift or something of that nature. And Lord knows I have enough stuff."

"You're accepting your diploma early and found a new flat and job somewhere nearby?" Ianto guessed, sticking his neck out with each new enquiring syllable.

Lisa shook her head as she gathered folded shirts from her chest of drawers. "Nothing that exciting, just the marriage of a cousin wanting me to play bridesmaid. I'll be gone all weekend, staring the down the barrel of horrid lavender taffeta."

Ianto sat down next to her luggage case. "And you hadn't thought of inviting me?"

"It's a friend of the family and just this small thing of ceremony. My mother's not even bothering to bring her newest boyfriend."

"If that's the case, what gift did you think I'd be getting you exactly…"

"Who knows?" Lisa shrugged as she finished packing her garments and personals, working her way towards the toiletry section with the personal Ziploc Baggies. People feared her Tetris prowess, and rightly so. "But it's always better to be safe than sorry."

Ianto remembered something Frederico had said in the midst of their quarrel and turned a shade pale, which went mostly unnoticed by Lisa. "I'd still go with you."

"Oh Ianto." She turned downward and kissed Ianto on the nose. "I'm saving you a favor. Do you really want to go to a tiny beach next to a god-forsaken freezing wharf and get sand all in your shoes? I didn't think so. Besides, I'll be back before the weekend is through."

Ianto felt as tiny as his voice. "Okay."

"Don't say it like that."

"How do you want me to say it?"

Lisa shook her head. "Never mind. Just wish me luck."

"Well, at least I don't feel so bad now about missing you most of the week while you were hold up in here cuddling your textbooks."

Lisa smiled. "See? Everything has an explanation. Now I have left you a little gift. Try not to worry yourself to death this weekend while I'm gone."

Ianto didn't move as she left the room and then her flat. They had kissed, but he'd remain seated on her bed. She knew that she could trust him to lock up. That didn't mean that a certain feeling of knots was leaving his stomach. Ianto didn't like this feeling one bit.

Prompt 16: Purple

Subtitle: Torchwood Four (Chapter 3)


	43. Chapter 43

_If my toes turn any farther shade of blue_…Lisa stopped for a moment as she thought. She didn't necessarily want to damn the proceedings. After all, rehearsals for weddings were more or less a necessity and it's not as though Aunt Ruby hadn't packed any hot cocoa in that sleek silver thermos near the table where the cake would be set.

Lisa whispered to Ali, her cousin's best friend. "I'm pretty sure that early March is not the best time nor place for a beach wedding. Would you have a reception in the sand?"

Ali shook her head, shoulder length blond hair moving in whips, temporarily sticking to her glasses along with a bit of sand. "No. I can't even say that I'd want to get married on a beach. Definently want a nice warm church with windows and a reception hall where this a distinct lack of sand to get everywhere."

"Tell me there's a nostalgic and plausible reason that Veronica needs to get married on the beach."

"They met here." Ali nodded and vaguely avoided the wedding planner's death glare. Lisa liked Ali quite a bit. Ali Martin and Veronica Belast had met in primary school and been best friends through good phases and ugly braces type phases. It was only natural that she would be maid of honor.

Lisa looked around. All the older members of the family had reconvened in the beachfront house. Only the younger folks were left after the first run-through, they were "heartier" and could survive the twilight for a much longer period of time. Lisa had almost hurt herself not rolling her eyes as they begun the ceremony for the third time after being interrupted by a noisy bird.

Lisa looked toward the inky night, as she stood near the makeshift altar, aware of going through the motions. The stars above were winking at her and she thought they were so beautiful, so complimentary to the wonder of it all. Ms. Hallett was able to avoid breaking the patterns into mathematic sequences just this once, something that was a habit she had picked up during the semester before university. She knew that Ianto saw figures of lore in the stars. Lisa wished some days that she could be just as lucky.

The winking stars looked down and then there was a momentary cresting boom that shattered the calm quiet of the ceremony. One particular star was moving unhappily closer, caught by gravity. Lisa's first thoughts, however, were distinctly absent from enquiring about the boom itself. _How quaint_, Lisa thought, _a falling star_. But it was decidedly not quaint, she thought a moment later. The star came down too close for comfort and a tidal wave of sand moved over the wedding party. Lisa felt herself being swept backwards towards a ramshackle dry dock standing away from the wedding festivities.

She felt a pull at her dress as Ali reached for her and the dock. The sounds of splashing and gasping meant that several family members had been thrown back into the ocean. She hadn't the ability to reach them yet. Her eyes stung as though bees were tap dancing on them. Lisa knew she couldn't yet wipe with her arm, grit clung to every surface and portion of the dress. She tried calling back to Ali, but failed. Lisa hoped everyone was alright.

Prompt 40: Sight

Sub-Title: Torchwood Four (Chapter 4)


	44. Chapter 44

"Are you okay then?" Ianto's voice was on edge. Lisa had called so that when he heard the event on the news that he would worry less than usual. She was aware that his level of worry was slightly abnormal.

"I'm fine. I just didn't want you to see the newsbreak on telly and get worried in case my reception was reduced." Lisa nodded to herself, sure that she had called for that singular reason.

"Well, alright then. I could still get a day or two off…"

Lisa shook her head at the phone. "No, Ianto. Trust me when I say that if this wedding was anymore tame, we'd all have died from boredom and not a comet."

"You're sure it was just a comet?"

"What do you mean am I sure? What else would it be?" Lisa's voice raised in emphasis. The thought she'd tried to push back was the one that Ianto had voiced.

"I don't know." The knotty feeling in Ianto's stomach was back and Lisa could hear it on the other end of the phone. "It just seemed like the appropriate thing to say."

"Well, in any case, I just felt the need to call. I'll see you soon." Lisa felt words holding in the back of her throat while there was a momentary awkward pause. Each felt as though there was something they wanted to say, but just couldn't yet or at all.

Ianto responded appropriately. "Right then. Guess I'll meet you at the station in a few days."

Lisa blinked as Ali waved around a white coffee mug and she absentmindedly set the phone back on the cradle. Something did feel amiss, but it had more to do with Ianto than a near-comet death experience. After registering Ali standing before her in jeans, instead of the bathrobe Lisa was currently wearing featuring dancing cocoa mugs, Lisa bit her lip.

"Well, how's your boyfriend taking the news of the adventure?"

"We haven't had an adventure."

"You'll have to admit that it's not everyday something comes barreling down from the sky."

Lisa nodded at Ali as she took a sip of hot coffee. "No, I suppose it isn't." There was a gleam in Ali's eyes. "Ali, you're not thinking about…"

"Me? No. I'd never want to go see a rock from space that just happened to land close on the beach. That wouldn't be the coolest thing to happen this weekend…"

Lisa's head tilted in a questioning direction. "I think you're a bad influence on my decision making, Ali Martin."

Ali bowed. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Besides, you're much more fun to hang out with than Veronica at this moment."

The pair crept away once Lisa had changed into a comfy pair of jeans, although creeping wasn't exactly necessary. Truth be told, most members of the family were far too focused on cleaning the wedding outfits and rearranging the reception furniture that the two girls were hardly missed. If anything, most of the family seemed more eager to forget the incident than Ali was to explore.

Lisa turned on the mini-torch that Ianto had snuck in her pack for emergencies. It was sweet the way he tried to look after her as though she hadn't been a fully functioning adult until the moment they had met. Well, sweet maybe wasn't the right word. Annoying could be the better phrase, most of the time.

Ali nudged Lisa from her thoughts as they came upon the crater. The sand had absorbed most of the tidal impact and it didn't quite register as a big event on the beach, more like an abnormal tire track from a stuck sand dune runner. The girls continued to creep for no reason, tension visible as Ali scuttled her way about the sand and Lisa shone a light before.

Lisa's body moved inquisitively, tenuously around the object. The crater was a shimmer shade of purple, reminding Lisa of a gem. It was strange, almost as though it called to her. She had a moment of recognition in the shadow of the fallen star and she was thrilled. It was as though she'd met an old friend, a part of herself. Later, Martin would call that destiny.

However, Lisa wasn't thinking about destiny at that moment, she was staring at Ali. "What are you doing?"

Ali was down digging by the bottom with something sharp. "Getting a souvenir. Do you want one?"

What she said didn't register for just a moment. "Do you think that's wise?"

Ali pulled her hair back into a ponytail before she begun scraping again. "It's not even hot anymore. Do you want one for your collection? Your boyfriend might think it's out of this world!"

"Fine." Lisa's voice was stressed as she looked around, feeling oddly like a looter. "But just…hurry!"

"Okay, okay. There."

Ali's feet didn't plant well as she went to stand and Lisa grabbed for her. Ali's keys slipped, creating a deeper fissure in the object. The broken part reminded Lisa more of a diamond than a shattered mirror. "Best to watch that first step."

Lisa thought to herself as they walked back to the house. Odd, I can't remember a time when sand was as slippery as on the base of that extraterrestrial thing. I'm pretty sure it's more than just a comet. The weight of the object in her pocket reminded Lisa that she could have it analyzed later. She would just have to be patient.

Prompt 71: Broken

Sub-Title: Torchwood 4 (Chapter 5)


	45. Chapter 45

Daylight broke through the chaos of the early day wedding. The comet's incident was easily ignored and mostly covered by sand that had been blown over the thing during the night and everyone was already assembled for the wedding anyways. Lisa's thoughts would not rebel from the object in her bag, even though boredom did creep through on occassion. _Love_, Lisa thought, _can't really be this sedate. Can it? _The whole procession of the wedding reminded her of something that her diplomat of an aunt had told her about. Coming back from an exploratory trip as an associate to the diplomatic party of the UN for Wales, Lisa had talked to her aunt about living life as an adventure. Her aunt had remarked, with a twinkle to her eye, "Let yourself not be fooled, young on. Life is the adventure and love makes the steps worth taking. Just don't confuse the two, lest your heart be broken."

The shuddering groan began the second before the bride's vows. Lisa could feel the tremble as the tiny volcano of sand erupted strangely and violently not far beyond the last row of chairs. Sand covered the carpet walkway and shivered as it moved over the guests. A newborn cry startled the spectators, most who ran as best they could in sand in any other possible direction than the one currently occupied by the thing.

Lisa's ornamental fan, used instead of the traditional bouquet, covered her eyes well. Watching the tail of the bride's train running with the groom made her feel better. Lisa's neck moved back from the dry dock to before the stage, monster and manic running spread out before her. Few ventured to stay as the thing grew from the rock. As beautiful and as mystical as the space gem had been the evening before, that's how ugly the sand creature was turning out to be.

Her eyes went wide and Ali's voice just barely registered. "Come on! We've got to get to the cars!"

Lisa turned, registering the fact that they were the only two left near the creature. "I don't think I can just yet. I'll try hold the thing off!"

"How? You don't even know what it is!" Ali's words rang with a bite of insanity.

"It doesn't matter." And it really didn't, although it did occur to Lisa just how stupid an idea this was. "Just as long as I've held the monster off, everyone else can be safe."

Ali shook her head. "Brave or stupid, I like the sound of your idea better."

Lisa rolled her eyes. "Can't argue with that. Come on." The sound of Lisa's dress ripping at the knee as she ran briskly down the steps made her feel better. She didn't like being encumbered at any rate. She wished briefly that jean could be covered better by taffeta. It sure would have made this wedding easier to get through.

Ali turned to her as they felt the sand shift. The monster was a complete creature, however devoid of eloquence. His two large and choppy legs moved awkwardly across the beach. "What should we do?"

"The sand thing is really slow! If we can barricade against it then maybe we can slow it down long enough to get away. Use the chairs and tables!" Lisa began pushing at a stubborn table on one end as Ali ran to the other.

"They are not moving!" Ali's voice rose in panic.

"Okay, new plan!" Lisa looked around and then remembered the sternos holding the chafing dishes. The monster was gaining speed and she was running out of time. "Go inside and grab a lighter of some kind. If you can't find one right away, Ianto packed away a lighter in my suitcase for emergencies!"

Ali nodded after a moment of hesitation. "I'll be back soon."

The monster's eyes bore down on Lisa. _Okay_, Lisa gulped as she thought, _what do I do now?_

She observed the monster wading through chairs like they were made of jelly. The only problem was that one chair had a glass of water sitting underneath. The water seemed to halt the monster temporarily as she fended it off with the pointy end of a broken chair leg. _Of course_, Lisa thought, _stick sand together and it hardens enough to break apart!_ The answer was so near she could taste it.

Prompt 5: Outsides

Sub-title: Torchwood Four (Chapter 6)


	46. Chapter 46

"Follow me, you stupid sand monster thing!" Lisa turned her head, berating herself for not having a clever quip for the creature. That moment turned away was just enough to miss a swipe of the monster's jagged paw, however effective he was turning out to be in knocking weapons from her hands. She circled the paw, turning "Sandi" toward the ocean and the waves. She had to give Ali just a few more moments. She had to set this up just right.

Lisa tried valiantly not to trip, although being alternately aware that the more she tried, the better certainty it was to happen. She certainly didn't want to be like one of those swooning girls from the horror movies. She had already lead the monster in the direction she needed. _Oh great_, she thought as she succumbed to the slippery sand near the border of the ocean, _this is not the way I wished to die_.

The monster swiped against her final defense. He had no teeth, but the gaping, cruel darkness of the black void where the mouth would have been frightened her enough. Lisa did not want to find out if the monster would dine on her, inhale her, or simply just be a nuisance. She did not feel that she was insane enough to want that kind of answer.

The sound of Ali moving back toward her reassured Lisa, although the thought occurred to her that Ali herself might not quite understand the plan or might not reach her in time. "Lisa!" She heard as the monster moved close enough to reach out and throttle the heroine. Lisa shut her eyes and gritted her teeth, determined to be brave and to go down fighting. It was at that moment that all her thoughts turned to eloquent, doting, wonderful Ianto. She still hesitated in using the word love, but she could not deny her desire to have him near her.

Heat seared her eyes, but it wasn't the beating wave of the sun's heat. It was something much closer. Lisa found that the monster was exploding in odd chunks all around her, glimpses of Ali and her torn dress flashing through the gaping holes. Lisa hadn't been more grateful then for other smart women in the world, although she could have done with less of the Sterno wax now gripping her arm and leaving a great blue slash of wax across her chest.

"Great idea using the monster's own substance against itself!" Ali's wild grin and thumbs up did not dissuade Lisa from wanting to faint.

Lisa shrugged as she dusted herself off and sprung back to her feet slowly. "Can't say where the idea came from. Guess there was just a great bit of luck involved."

"You thought on your feet." Ali nodded as she whispered and the pastor coughed, glaring in their direction. The wedding had gone on, if not any worse for wear or being off schedule. Most of the family members for years to come would deny the event, or worse, spin it towards the realm of group heat stroke, which made no real sense at all. But that's how must people view the supernatural; Lisa would muse when she thought on it at a later time.

Ali called her older brother as she dined on cake and champagne. The sun was setting and Lisa was returning to her Tuesday classes at university. The conversation was maintained in hushed tones and Ali glanced around frequently as she talked on the terrace of the beach house. "Hello, Evan. I think I've got a girl for Torchwood One to replace Nicea."

Evan's voice betrayed his lack of confidence but Ali stood her ground. "She's good in the field, quick on her feet, she's an asset. Test her yourself if you must. Girl's a computer genius with a boyfriend by the name of Ianto Jones."

There was a garbled answer on the other end of the line that Ali couldn't quite make out, except for the possible words Doctor and prophecy. "Lisa Hallett. I've told you about her cousin, haven't I? No, I can't say I know much about Jones, but Lisa is an impeccable pick of character. Let's hold off on that as long as possible, I agree, but she is quality. I think Lisa's already begun falling for him though."

Prompt 18: Black

Sub-Title: Torchwood 4 (Chapter 7)


	47. Chapter 47

Lisa tried not to be angry at the way Ianto doted on her in the following weeks. It was tragic really that he felt such a need to be protective. Didn't it occur to him that Lisa had once been a self-sufficient human before him? She had somehow managed to learn skills for both survival and amusement. But he did make a killer cup of coffee, so Lisa bit her tongue and trudged her way through most of her exams without incident.

It occurred to her as she was blowing off some steam that no local paper of any kind had covered the wedding or mentioned the possibility of the meteor. There was little reason to sound the alarm for this, she supposed, except that even the astrological sites weren't reporting on the phenomenon. The first taste of Lisa digging her heels in for a murky query intrigued Evan Martin. He silently went through her history with remote access, cleaning any missing links she had tried to delete in her drive. She was an amateur, no doubt, however her potential was wickedly evident.

Lisa hit gold on the third day of her searches. Ianto was nearby, keys clicking in a mirror of her own, except that he was playing a game of LAN Tetris with a couple of his contemporaries from an English class down the hall that had just finished their final paper. Every few moments, he would make a sound in his throat that would resemble a victorious bit of air escaping from a tire, or a depressed leak. That really was the last straw for Lisa. She was irked.

"Ianto, do you have to make that noise?" She continued scanning and clicking fervently. Something in the way these articles were worded was beginning to make less sense as she replayed the events in her own mind. A hypothesis was beginning to form and cement in her brain and she needed to concentrate and make sure before beginning to write and study further.

"Of course I do. That's part of the game."

The clicking stopped momentarily. "Ianto, it's not rugby or football. You're playing Tetris."

"Yes, well, I'd certainly get your attention if I started to strip and wave my shirt about the room like a madman, wouldn't I?" Lisa balked at the mental image, not because Ianto's body wasn't something desirable, but simply because she couldn't see him celebrating anything in such a manner. Her silence suited as enough a response. "And that's probably what I would have to do to get your attention nowadays, wouldn't I?"

Lisa grabbed for a piece of blank paper from beneath her printer. "Just what is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come on, Lise. You've been captivated by a search for non-existent information for several days now. I could dance about to Michael Flatley in the nude and you'd be so distracted that you probably would just ask me to turn the River dance down."

Lisa's pen skidded across the page and her eyes went wide as she opened and shut her mouth briskly at the mental image. Ianto's eyes danced in their sockets. "Good to know I can still get your attention."

"Yes, well," Lisa said, "let's hope your fancies don't turn to Mr. Flatley quite yet. I just thought I was seeing an abstract pattern is all."

Ianto sighed. "Lisa, you look for a pattern in everything. It's who you are. We can't go past a cloud formation without you quoting some sort of number for whatever level the thing is in the air."

"We can't all see Margaret Thatcher in the clouds, Ianto," Lisa replied dryly.

"That's not completely true," Ianto claimed, retorting in his own defense, "I saw Winston Churchill in a cloud last week. But you were far too busy to notice that, weren't you?"

Prompt 33: Too Much

Sub-Title: Torchwood 4 (Chapter 8)


	48. Chapter 48

Lisa simply wasn't in the mood. She shook her head as she began to scrawl down words and phrases that seemed to leap from various websites. They seemed joined, a grand sort of literary pattern that was unfolding before her eyes. That movie featuring Russell Crowe came to her mind and she was pretty sure she would avoid that if at all necessary. Lisa thought though that most fiction did seem to be based in fact these days. It didn't hurt that Russell Crowe wasn't exactly bad to look at either.

"So, what is this pattern that you've noticed?" Ianto couldn't stand tension of any sort, not really. He also seemed to be incurably curious.

Lisa shook her head as her scribbling became less and less decipherable and more cryptic. "Not sure, the jury hasn't reached a verdict yet."

Ianto moved from the bed. "Mind if I give it a try?"

Lisa covered the page of notes swiftly, followed by minimizing the web page. "No…I mean, I'd rather just work this out for myself. I'm sure you'd just get bored. It's mostly hearsay, nothing that factual."

"If you don't want my help or support than that's all you have to say."

Lisa shook her head, lowering her eyes just a bit. "That's not what I meant and you know it."

"How would I know that Lisa? You're turning into a stranger because of this event that only you have proof for."

"Fancy that. We've known each other less than a year and I'm already turning into a stranger?" The annoyance in Lisa's voice stewed into a bitter turn. She was grateful that he had never said a word against hers about the sand monster, but having him doubt her was too much.

"A hurtful stranger at that." Ianto clicked his laptop closed. "You and Frederico have more in common than you think. Maybe he was right about that. Bear in mind that you always searched to hard for what was right in front of you." He left without saying goodbye but Lisa didn't have the time to go chasing after him. Ianto was more prone to sensitivity than she and she was certain that he'd be calmer later in the night or early the next morning.

The fact that Lisa noticed something strange was going on beyond the news reports was a gold star in achievement for her. Keeping something like her history links in peripheral vision was something that Evan was banking on. Her eyebrow quirked as she began filing through her daily links, noticing little indiscretions that had either appeared or disappeared.

They were clearly flimsy and meant to garner attention. Someone was watching Lisa and she was far more thrilled than disconcerted. This person surely both knew why the media was covering up the report on the meteor or had stumbled upon the same pattern and had more questions, possibly answers or conjectures at the very least.

The next step of moving IP address signals into certain sequence boxes and search engines without being caught would be tricky. She wrote quickly on her blank page, littered with various numbers. Lisa was able to peg down various bits of information. The first was that the remote signal was laptop bound, as the locations varied but it always dealt with a newborn wifi signal from the same third portion of the address. The signature didn't verify to anyone in particular. But she had a part of town to begin her search. And that first step would be quite enough for now.

Prompt 25: Strangers

Sub-Title: Torchwood 4 (Chapter 9)


	49. Chapter 49

The place was noisy and crowded for a Thursday night. Lisa didn't go out to bars or clubs very often and it seemed abnormal to her for people to want to be in such a confined space with others that were on their way towards inebriation. Ianto hadn't called today or yesterday to apologize. In the back of her mind, Lisa was hoping that he would. But she had more important matters than her own love life gone awry.

There was no one here with any sort of laptop case, but several had cellular telephones. Lisa could identify easily the ones with Internet connections and the girls that were attached to them didn't scream cybernetic genius to her. Of course, Lisa's chic bob, hoop earrings and low-rise vintage jeans didn't quite scream hacker either. The world was just full of uncertainties in that way.

A man in the shadows caught her interest. He was slightly older than most of the patrons, but wore the same uniform of middle management. White shirt, light blue tie hung loosely around his neck. The man's brew sat half-drunk and he seemed to be typing a message from his cell phone. It seemed like an unusual model as Lisa looked from her stool out of the corner of her eye. It almost seemed as though he was moving the phone sideways to type. But that couldn't be possible. That kind of technology didn't exist yet.

The man moved away from his solemn table and surged back through the chaos towards the door. Lisa waited for a brief moment to finish her drink. She didn't want the man to suspect that she was following him. Of course, the lead could be false. After all, businessmen were always receiving test phone models when they worked for certain companies. But he seemed different somehow from the average businessmen. Lisa's gut told her to follow the lead.

Luckily, the man was outdoors lighting a cigarette. He leaned against the building, his trench coat nonchalantly blowing in the slight breeze. It was getting too warm for a coat of such length. Lisa casually leaned against the building not far away and pretended to rummage through her purse. She swore softly and then looked helplessly at the man.

"Damn, can you help me?"

The older gentlemen looked toward Lisa. "And how might I help you, miss?"

"It seems that my phone is nowhere to be found. Horrible habit I have of carrying too much in my bag. Might I borrow yours?"

The man shook his head, returning to his cigarette. "I'm sorry Ms. Hallett, I don't have a phone that you could borrow."

"I'm sorry, but I don't recall telling you my name."

"You should be smart enough to recognize that I didn't have to wait for introductions. You are good, Lisa, but very inexperienced."

"I'm sorry?" Lisa was quite confused.

"Let me explain. You have to be more convincing when trying to see my Blackberry. I noticed you eyeing the phone from your stool. But if you'd noticed the chair two tables behind mine, then you would have been able to see that I was sending you a message."

"To my cell phone?"

"Not quite. Check your email, Ms. Hallett."

"Who are you?"

"A friend of a friend. Congratulations, Ms. Hallett. You've taken your first steps into a much larger world. Follow me, we should talk in an area that doesn't have the noise of a dull jet engine roar."

"Why should I follow you?"

"Of course. How rude of me. I haven't introduced myself." Evan extended his hand towards Lisa. "My name is Evan Martin. I believe you know my younger sister Ali."

Prompt 80: Why?

Sub-Title: Torchwood 4 (Chapter 10)


	50. Chapter 50

Lisa took his hand hesitantly. "And what does Ali have to do with any of this?"

Evan's eyes twinkled and his reassuring smile put Lisa at ease. "We should take refuge in that coffee shop across the street. I promise to answer any questions you might have."

Minutes later, they sat with their coffees and Lisa took a sip of something strong and bitter from the Turkish section. Her apple croissant was a welcome respite. "So, you haven't told me what Ali's connection is to this."

Evan's eyebrow's furrowed. "I'm surprised you haven't figured it out. After all, with your performance against the Dune comet, I would have thought you would understand."

"Is that what that thing was called? And what did Ali tell you? There was no reporting about it as I suspected there should have been."

"Well, yes. We like to put a label on much of what we can, for archiving purposes. Ali told me enough that my department was able to curtail any real investigation."

"Excuse me, did you say we?" Lisa leaned in across the table.

"Of course I did. You don't think that the code you cracked was just something of a coincidence, did you?"

Lisa leaned back in her chair. "I was afraid it wasn't. It was too clean. I knew that when I found the doctored files in my encoded history files that someone was onto me. I was just glad to keep Ianto from getting involved."

"Young Mr. Jones is involved though. But that's important at another time."

"How do you know about my boyfriend?"

"We know a great deal about you and your connections, Ms. Hallett. In fact, barring your first field test, we'd like to offer a task of employment to you. There are not a great many benefit, however the Queen would be quite indebted to you for the service."

"The Queen? An underground position of protection of sorts?"

Evan nodded, passing Lisa a card. "Read this just once. Afterwards, the information will recede in such a way that only a special light from the building can read it. You'll need to find that address within a few hours. Your test will be there."

Lisa cocked her head, not yet reading the information. "Is it worth the risk?"

Evan smiled. "If you're the type of person I believe you to be, it will be."

"Is this just a spy job then?"

"No, Lisa. You'll become the code writer for the news across online London, working in my department. This test is more of a mere formality than anything else."

"And why should I trust you?"

"Because a lesser agent might have poisoned your coffee from jealousy."

Lisa's eyes turned from the card back to Evan as her voice went up an octave. "Poison? You've poisoned me?"

Evan shook his head. "This poison is just more of a sleeping draught. If you decline to join Torchwood One, you'll forget both the meeting and the code you've discovered. And you know that I have the ability to wipe any files that I must."

"Is Ianto in danger?" Lisa internally gripped herself tight.

"No. Not if you don't put him in that kind of danger. Ms. Hallett, we don't choose hastily. You're the right person for this if you'll just trust yourself. Go to the address. You won't be disappointed."

Lisa took a cab from the coffee shop, turning the blank card in her hands. Lisa fumbled with her purse and the miscellaneous contents therein. She was nervous; having dialed Ianto's number once after getting in the cab. She had hung up just as quickly and ignored him. _No, I have to keep him away from this. I set out on this quest. Now I have to find where it leads_. Lisa tuned out the driver and the radio from Bangladesh. The taxi couldn't move quickly enough, the world seemed to stop around her. What was Torchwood? What was she getting herself into?

The building looked incredibly normal from the outside. Another of the cookie cutter and unexpressive towers of commerce and trade in the center of the business district, and yet, a sense of foreboding hit Lisa as the cab driver screeched to a halt. She would have to trust her instincts and her own quick thinking. If this were a bad situation, Lisa would have to trust in herself and her own capabilities. _Wait a minute_, Lisa thought_. I'm not weak or insecure. I'm smart, attractive, and capable. This is my life and I will not lose control._

Lisa's back straightened as she moved from the cab to the door. The building seemed locked at every entrance and most of the guards ignored her impatient pounding. She didn't want to fall faint here on the street from whatever sleeping drug had gone into her coffee. There was a small slot near a stone proclaiming the creation date of the building. She shrugged and slid the card through, thinking that it might be like one of the hotel keys she wasn't so fond of.

There was a click as one of the doors swung open under her grip. She stepped through the clear entrance and was met by a nonchalant guard flipping through several television cameras placed throughout the building.

"My name is Lisa Hallett. Will you direct me where I need to go?"

"Do you have an appointment with Ms. Lennox?" His voice was incredibly bored and monotone. Neither did he make any attempt to look at her.

"No. I was sent here by an Evan Martin."

"Never heard of him."

"Well… he works for…Torchwood One." Lisa hesitated, moving through her memory.

The guard finally took a moment to look at Lisa and then blinked. "Never heard of it. Someone's yanking your chain miss. Best to head home."

Lisa's own fear was building into a fire of impatience. "I will not go home. I demand to know why Evan Martin would send me here and why a card would allow me entrance if this was not the place to go?" Even Lisa was surprised by the harshness in her own voice.

"Now just calm down ma'am. Here, I'll send you up to Ms. Lennox's secretary if it will make you feel any better. You'll just have to go through that security clearance metal detector. Is that alright?"

Lisa felt herself calming down as progress began in the journey once again. "Yes. I believe that would be quite helpful."

"Alright then. If you'll just please step through."

Lisa followed the direction of the guard's arm. She noticed a slight charge to the air as she came upon the metal detector. There was a brief and sudden spark that shot through the air while she was in the midst of the detector. Before she blacked out, Lisa knew the place had been a trap and she had fallen for it. Each volt that coursed through her body before her eyes closed and her breath shortened reminded her as such.

Prompt 68: Lightning

Sub-Title: Torchwood 4 (Chapter 11)


	51. Chapter 51

It wasn't a memory at all, not really. It had that hazy effect on the sides that reminded Lisa of those old television programs where one of the characters has a show meant to fill time. Somewhere deep inside, Lisa knew that she was groggy, cold, and a prisoner feeling the effects of electrical shock. But, inside her mind, she felt as though it were Christmas.

The trouble with memories is that you can't always pinpoint their origin. Some of them are made up, on a rare occasion one might come that's yet to be. In Lisa's case, she just couldn't think straight enough to discern the answer. But it was surely right there in front of her all the time. The memory became more vivid the more she tried to concentrate.

She could feel the sensation of the recliner. Lisa was sitting, bent down and kissing a clearly delighted Ianto. The air was misty with the scent of holly and lit candles, Barry Manilow's Christmas album, a gift from her mother a few years ago, playing softly in the background. Her earrings reflected brightly against the red bulbs and the green branches. It was the kind of scene where you could be sure that a roaring fire was somewhere in the background.

Scattered tissue paper lie over the carpet and Ianto was too enraptured by whatever he was hiding behind his back. Like normal times, they teased each other mercilessly until one bended, usually Ianto, and the game had run its course. Lately, the game had ended in kisses. Lisa could admit to herself that Ianto was attractive. He might not have been a chav or anything of that nature like her boyfriend had been the year before university, but he was kind, funny, and wise in a sad sort of way.

Ianto's hands sprang forward with the gift, his eyes sparkling bright. It was clear that Ianto was quite proud of himself. The present was wrapped to creased perfection, down to the fancy curls on the ribbon. The paper was a cream color with several odd shapes doodled around it and inside the package made Lisa gasp. She scooped the gift from the box, turning the item in her hand.

Lisa could hear Ianto's voice far away from reality. "See? I told you that it was perfect."

"But how did you remember?"

Ianto bowed his head. "It's just a family thing."

Lisa kissed the top of his head with delight. "Then what a family you have."

He shrugged. "I just thought of you. It seemed so…perfect."

"It is." Lisa watched as the Quasimodo marionette moved across the floor awkwardly. It would take some practice to get used to the jerky movements, but she noticed the Ianto didn't say anything. To him, she moved the doll perfectly around the tree. "Okay, it's your turn!" Lisa was surprised by the intensity of the happiness, a surprise emotion in this dream-like state.

"An engagement ring!" Ianto mocked surprise at the small box. "Shouldn't you be on your knees, then?"

Lisa blinked and then proceeded to move the box farther away. "If you don't want it then I could always take it back."

Ianto's shoulders fell. "Oh come on! You got to open yours!"

"Ianto, you're positively child-like at moments!" Lisa giggled to herself as the dream Lisa chuckled.

"Yes, well, I have to get gifts somehow," he stated. Then there was a moment of silence as he digested the gift. "What are these for?"

"They're cufflinks."

"I know they're cufflinks, but why?" He blinked as his face moved from the box and back towards Lisa.

"They'll look good with what's underneath them…when we've gone to meet my mother." Lisa gulped, the bombshell settling in the room.

"Do you think we're ready for that?"

"If you have to ask, then the answer might not be positive. Just look underneath."

Ianto cocked his head. "Where did you find this as a set?"

"I…I thought it would match your eyes."

Ianto reached up with his hand and brought Lisa's head down to kiss him as he knelt. "I love it. It's my dad's birthstone."

It was then that Lisa ceased to dream and fell off into another unconscious state from the electric volts.

Sub-Title: Torchwood Four (Chapter 12)

Prompt 92: Christmas


	52. Chapter 52

A little alarm flashed over Frederico's screen. He hummed inquisitively as he moved the cursor over to his beta web cam page. After typing in three sets of encoded passwords, the face of a trusted friend peered out, eyes betraying worry.

"Fred…she came." The words didn't faze Frederico. He knew that Lisa would never hesitate, that had not been an option. Ianto was the most stubborn of the pair.

Frederico nodded, his hand moving toward his upper lip. "Good. Then the plan is moving along nicely."

"The only thing is that…"

"What is it?" His voice was commanding, displeased.

"The volts knocked her unconscious. I've had her moved to the location, but she drifts in and out of lucidity."

"Take heart, the volts were not meant to kill her. She's part of the prophecy of the Doctor's Children, that much is clear. I need you to keep a clear head and an eye on the prisoner until I can arrive with Ianto, got that?"

The guard nodded and Frederico continued. "Good. Now, disable the armaments after Evan arrives. I can't have him knowing we staged this, but we still need to be able to get in with my old code."

"I hope you know what you're doing." The security guard's eyes were full of terror.

Fred nodded. "When have I let you down before Patrick?"

Patrick bit his lip. "I see Evan's car in the drive. I'll lead him around the elevator myself."

"Good boy. Then go check on the prisoner. I hear Ianto's key in his bedroom lock." Fred's console closed quickly and Ianto eyed him. It was too fast an act; Ianto knew something was up almost immediately.

"You slammed down your computer in quite a hurry. You act as though I've never caught you look at certain materials before."

"Oh, I just thought it was time that we made up." Fred batted his eyelashes innocently.

Ianto snorted. "Right, because you don't live to think up ways to taunt me on a regular basis." Then Ianto heaved a weighty sigh. "There's no reason to make up this time because I was in the wrong."

Fred tried not to jump from his chair when Ianto's eyes fell, the look of a wounded animal about them. Something glittered in his fingers. "But I am wrong. I'm always wrong. I'm the heartless playboy with a big brain and a bigger trust fund working you towards the realm of rock star. Don't go messing with our dynamic Ianto!"

"I'm sorry that I can't be in harmony with your plan," a startled Ianto reacted, " but it seems as though Lisa doesn't need me, maybe she never did. I think I've hung around long enough. I was just…" Ianto looked down at the object in his fingers, "going to return an object before I changed my mind.

_I have to keep him talking_; Frederico's brain was going a mile a minute. "Do you need a moment? Someone to talk it out with?"

"No." Ianto sighed. "I think it was quite enough having you be right all along."

Frederico decided that he would have to abort this phase of the plan. Drastic measures needed to be taken. He had been studying Ianto's stubborn streaks enough to know when he couldn't solve the moment with speech. As Ianto reached for the doorknob, Fred spoke with all the desperation he could muster in his voice, "Wait. She won't be there."

"How do you know?"

Frederico rose, looking down at the floor as he moved toward Ianto. "Ianto, mate, I haven't been honest with you. I've been sent…to watch you, to study you. And to monitor your relationship with Lisa."

Ianto's eyes turned in a moment toward rage. Fred knew what he was risking, Ianto was far too protective and that could be the greatest of his Achilles heels.

Sub-Title: Torchwood 4 (Chapter 13)

Prompt 85: She


	53. Chapter 53

"Twice in one night? Be careful, Pat. You sure do know how to flatter a boy."

Patrick grunted with slight annoyance and was visibly tense. He paced, checking his watch and doing his best to ignore the banter of the prisoner. He muttered to himself quite low, his eyes moving sharply to the door. Even the prisoner could feel the end game in the atmosphere. "I don't have time for this Harkness. Just keep your trap shut."

"My, that's bad form. Your brother sure wasn't quite so rough with me…that is, until I asked…"

Patrick rushed over to his cybernetic chains in a huff. "You've never met Archie. You've never touched him. Don't you dare talk about him! There are things going on tonight, years, decades, millennia in the planning."

"So, we can surmise that this is a _big_ night then?"

"Don't start enunciating with me, Jack Harkness. You'll regret it." His eyes flattened and his breath could have fogged up the cyber shield.

"Oh, Patrick. You certainly can talk a big game. What with me chained up, practically at your mercy." Sex dripped across each whispered word. Indeed, the sight of Jack fully dressed in chains was almost as enticing as the sight of Jack in only chains. _Give him an inch and he runs off three miles_, Patrick thought. _Don't fall for it again. _

Patrick moved away from the chains quickly, as though Jack were covered in leprous spots. "Just stop talking and let me think for a moment."

Jack shrugged. "Could be worse."

Patrick's cellular phone beeped as Frederico entered his code in the building's old hidden panel. It was an artifact even in Fred's old days with Torchwood One and very few knew about it. He wasn't worried about encountering Lennox and he accounted for both Lisa and Evan being trapped on various floors, one in a converted bathroom and the latter in a down elevator with no reception and a non-working emergency button. Time was short and Ianto was clearly incredibly jittery.

Fred greeted Patrick with a hearty handshake, also trying to introduce Ianto to him. Fred's best theory when introducing Ianto to his crew had more to do with throwing him into the deep end of the pool. But Ianto was clearly distracted. Of course, the sight of Jack Harkness in cybernetic chains behind a light blue cyber shield can do that to even the most heterosexual of men. The shield was for the guard's protection more than for Jack. Fred had almost fallen for that damn scent of his once, a great defense mechanism and quite a clever one if you asked him in an off moment. As for Patrick, Fred was quite assured of the knowledge of what Jack was capable of.

Alarm bells began to sound and Ianto turned to Fred as Fred swore quite loudly. "The code must have activated a hidden alarm. They'll be calling UNIT soon."

Patrick's eyes went wide "What do we do? The only personnel in the building that need to be evacuated are Lennox, Martin, and…myself."

Fred's eyes sharpened. "You stuttered. Who else is here?"

"No one."

Fred backed Patrick up against the wall. "If you've jeopardized the mission, Patrick, so help me…"

Jack had to butt in. "Fred's so dominant. Kinky."

Fred turned to him, fuming. "Shut it, Harkness!"

Ianto spoke for the first time, bells clearing his senses. "So that's your name. Harkness…" His voice rang as though he was entering a fog.

Fred looked back towards Patrick but speaking to Ianto. "He's nothing but trouble Ianto, leave him be. This prisoner's more trouble than he's worth to Torchwood."

"Prisoner? So you've seen Lisa!" Ianto moved closer to the glass. "My god…that scent."

Things were spiraling out of Fred's control. He bustled back towards Ianto, pulling him from the shield and spinning his roommate toward his gaze. "Look, you've got to snap out of your stupor here! I've got to go and find Vance and Lisa before UNIT arrives. You'll have to stay here and guard Harkness from the rest of the world. The man's a liar and a con! Don't believe anything he says! Got it?"

Ianto felt himself deflating just slightly when faced with Fred's eyes. "Got it." Neither did he think that he could deflate further when Fred pulled a revolver from his pocket.

"You know how to use one of these, right?"

Ianto gulped and then answered, resigned. "Of course."

Sub-Title: Torchwood 4 (Chapter 14)

Prompt 36: Smell


	54. Chapter 54

Frederico was picking his way carefully through the darkness. It was strange that his father Vance was not in his office. Other odd things did include the fact that his computer was not left running, nor was it warm. Patrick assured him, as he guarded the door, that Vance had stubbornly refused to leave short of a chemical attack. The spooky thing for Patrick was that Vance had no sound reasoning other than how the tone was set in his voice.

The keys to the file room lay innocently enough on the table. Frederico knew it was a trap, but he had come too far in this moment. His life had been dedicated since his rogue work towards the Doctor. From the moment the files had landed in the research pile, he had seen the pattern of protection across France, across Britain and Normandy, even across the Leisure Hive. It was absurd to see the Doctor as a villain, which was clearly false. A covert operation to find Romana and Sarah Jane had also lead to confirmation of this.

The creation of Torchwood Four was an absolute secret. Torchwood Three in Cardiff had supplied Rift technology and Archie, Patrick's brother, had supplied the alien materials to build a living craft about as close to the Tardis as Frederico could have gotten. His father had cursed Fred going rogue, unable to be convinced of the evidence. And so Frederico had built his life around his mission to hide the Doctor and his children from the prophecy.

"I knew you hadn't changed." The voice rang out in the darkness. He was clever, using the Yogic perception filter, an imitation of the Cardiff branch elevator.

"Then why invite me back?" Frederico did not move a muscle in the darkness.

"Why…to keep my enemies closer than my friends of course. And its not as though you could actually _survive_ on your own." Vance's voice was haughty and triumphant.

Fred closed his eyes for just a moment, allowing them to adjust. Two weapons were hidden on his body, one of which Vance could detect and the other undetermined. "That's not true."

A nearby office chair swung around and a lamp lit as the perception shield fell. Vance was mocking him and the plan was indeed in shambles. "Come Fred, you lived like James Bond long enough. Did you really think I would play M to your Bond without finding out what I needed to know? You should really choose your friends better. Now, I think you should get comfortable. UNIT will be here shortly and you can watch as Evan, Lisa, and Ianto are all perceived as threats. It will be quite thrilling, mark my words."

Fred clenched his jaw as he turned his eyes from the door. He picked a chair and lowered himself angrily, tentatively. "You bastard."

"Call me what you wish, but I've won. I always win."

"Did you think so? Do you still think the Doctor's that much of a threat?"

Vance hissed. "That and so much more."

"You're wrong, father. You don't know how incredibly stupid you're being."

"Stupid? What do you know of stupidity and cleverness? You're the one that threw it all away for an obsession!"

"He's more than an obsession. He's a hero! And those children…" Frederico jumped up, pointing to the space outside where Ianto and Lisa were staged in portions of the building, "have more potential than we can dream."

"Pity you had to go dragging them into this. They could have led sedate, clever lives. They could have gone far."

"Maybe they still can." Frederico reached down towards a spot on his knee. With one swift movement, he punched through his kneecap and howled in the debilitating pain. The second weapon, undetectable by most alien and human scanners, fell into his hand. It was the size of a cluster of marbles.

"How did you…?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Those are dangerous!" Vance's voice became incredibly high-pitched.

"I know." He couldn't stand, but continued in a gloating rhetoric that matched his father. "But what you didn't realize was that this was not just a trap for me. Do you really think I would just allow you to sabotage the saviors of the race?"

"A fool's hope is all either of us have. Now, put those things away!" Vance snarled.

"I don't think I will."

Vance cocked his hidden weapon, bringing the gun into shaded view.

"Go ahead and shoot, father. It will be the last thing anyone in London ever does."

Vance hesitated for just a moment and Frederico seized the opportunity to pull his weapon from the holster and fire expert shots into his father. There was a wheezing, alarmed sound as Frederico hobbled to his father, using the desk as support. Each step merited a wince but it was worth it.

Frederico looked into his father's eyes as they faded into nothingness. "You just never got it, did you?" He spoke in low tones, full of pity. "I admire the Doctor, I would do anything for him and his children. Even sacrifice myself, although today that's not necessary. You see, father, this was a trap, however it was not intended for myself. I set this trap for you."

Sub-Title: Torchwood 4 (Chapter 15)

Prompt 94: Independence


	55. Chapter 55

"Do you always let him talk to you like that?"

"Excuse me?" Ianto turned to glare at the man in chains.

"I just don't think it's fair..."

"What would you know about fair? Obviously you've done something wrong or you wouldn't be here."

"Fred's a bully, Ianto. You can't just give into him."

Ianto moved closer to the chains. "Now you listen to me, Mr. Harkness."

"Captain Harkness, actually. Captain Jack Harkness."

"Ah. Well, Mr. Harkness, I don't take orders from anyone except my girlfriend and my father, the former who is trapped in this building and the latter in the grave. So my advice to you is to keep it shut."

"Tough talk."

"Thanks."

Alarms began to sound and Ianto's body began to tense. The walls reverberated with the punch of the alarms. "And that's the signal for UNIT." Jack sighed as he shook his head.

"What is UNIT?"

Jack shrugged, well, as best as one could shrug in chains. "I thought you didn't want me to talk."

Ianto sighed. "You bloody well know what I mean. If this is important to me or Lisa then you'd better tell me, Harkness."

"Oy! I'm a Captain. It's not that difficult to remember."

Ianto moved as close as he could to the Captain, revolver caressing the battlements between the pair. "Now you listen to me Captain or whoever you are. If my Lisa's in danger and you're keeping information from me, then so help me God if something happens, I'll...I'll turn you into a private!"

Jack began to breathe heavier. "What, you gonna break through the cybernetic shields and then what...strip me? Humiliate me? Make me beg for mercy? You don't have the guts."

"Oh don't I?" Ianto took a step back and then blinked. "Wait just a minute. You thought I was going to free you, didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged. But if you don't, neither you or your girlfriend is going to make it out alive. UNIT doesn't listen. They're a very shoot first and doctor evidence later kind of organization."

Ianto gave it a moment of thought, heightened by the alarms echoing through his skull. "I don't trust you, Harkness."

"Well of course you don't. But if I saw you in chains, I wouldn't have much reason to trust you either. But let me ask you one question: Do you really trust Fred?"

"No."

"Then what do you have to lose?"

Ianto exhaled through his nose. "Only the most important woman in the world."

"Then what are you waiting for! The controls to the cybernetics are behind the third panel of the Govinecchi painting to my right."

"You've been preparing for this."

"Is there a reason I shouldn't have? I thought Fred said Torchwood Four staff were brilliant..."

"What do you mean Torchwood Four?"

Jack's eyes widened just briefly. "Nothing. Never mind."

"Jack!"

"Captain."

Ianto sighed. "I don't have time for this."

There was an array of switches and blinking lights all emitting some very important looking wires. Ianto knew he couldn't just cut the wires and expect the best. There was most likely a code sequence involved and since he didn't know Fred as well as he thought, Ianto was going to have to come up with another plan.

Jack had to voice his opinion. "Just don't start cutting wires!"

Ianto waved him off from the panel. "I bloody well figured that for myself."

"Sorry, just trying to help."

Ianto muttered to himself. "Bloody impatient Americans. Now if I...this goes over to..."

"The clock's ticking Ianto!"

"What did I say about talking?"

"Only that you love to hear the melodic tone's of the captain's voice?"

"Here!" Ianto flipped a sequence of four switches and depressed two silver buttons, releasing both the arm chains. "Are you always this mouthy?"

"I can do much worse. Especially with my mouth." Ianto stood for a moment looking back towards the chains that were fallen to the floor, the link with his brain momentarily severed. It was clear that Jack was no ordinary prisoner. "Hey, so, are we going to continue to free me or did I break your brain?"

"What? Sorry. Just hold off on comments like that till I've finished with the sequence."

"Try the red lever next! I know the one time Patrick untied the chains to..."

"I don't need that information in my head!"

The chains continued to fall and Jack took a moment to flex his muscles and rub his wrists. Before he passed Ianto at top speed, he leaned inward in his usual inappropriate manner. "You know, you could do with some loosening up, Ianto. Gotta run!"

Ianto went bug-eyed as he ran after Harkness. "Wait! What about Lisa, UNIT? They are on their way."

Jack stood in the foyer, surrounded by staircases. "That's not my problem. Sorry Ianto. I've got places to be." He punched some buttons on his wristwatch and Ianto watched him evaporate in a blue haze.

Ianto cursed the magnetizing force that was Jack Harkness, but didn't have time to dwell on it as Patrick came falling down the midst of the stairwell. His body broke in a sickening crunch as he hit the marble. Ianto looked downward into his blank eyes and thought of Lisa. In a panic, he flew up the stairs thinking he could hear her calling out for help. He'd worry about UNIT when they arrived. That was the best Ianto could do, although he imagined the revolver would be little to no help at all.

Subtitle: Torchwood Four

Prompt 65: Passing


	56. Chapter 56

"Lisa!" Ianto ran up stairs until his breath began to give way. UNIT had locked down the elevators, that security guard was beyond unconscious, Frederico had disappeared, and Jack had just up and vanished. Ianto was left on his own to find her.

Lisa did want to answer. She could barely hear him, even as he moved closer to her level. The entire building, except for the top six floors, had an open architecture of metal and glass. Even so, the room she was locked in echoed the trumpets of alarm. She was screaming in pain.

"Lisa!" His feet gave way as her screams assaulted his ears. There was no telling how long she had been in pain, but the screams had a faraway quality, almost as though her voice were rusting over. Ianto brushed away the haze of tired from his eyes as he vaulted the last staircase toward her scream.

Lisa would later say that she did not remember even screaming. The metal cavern of a prison with the sound of the alarms added was too much pressure for her mind. Whatever the case, Ianto was led to the sound of her voice. He was sweating through his button-down, tie hanging limply except for the fact that her tie pin was holding it together. His jacket had been flung off four flights ago and his underarms were a damper shade of blue than the rest of the shirt.

At first he tried attacking the door with his body. Ianto's forearms began to ache followed by his ribs and shoulders. The door was solid, dangerously reinforced. It was clear that this was no ordinary closet. Ianto began to pound on the door, hoping and praying she could hear the sound of his voice. Ianto imagined her body as a crumpled heap within the stainless room.

A blue light moved through the level, tossing Ianto back onto the floor. "Well, that was unexpected!" Jack's eyes were wide, his hair blown out in several directions.

Ianto snarled. "You...you left me! You made a promise."

Jack shook his head. "Get over it. This is the real world Ianto. We don't have time for your drama. We have to find the room where the teleportation scrambling module is before UNIT gets here."

"So you can run away again?"

"Well, yeah. I don't know about you, but I prefer freedom to the containment units of the underground."

"I don't care what you prefer."

"You know, you're kind of cute when you're testy."

Ianto rolled his eyes, moving his body back toward the door and trying to ram into it for all he was worth. He wanted to imagine that pure force of will could open the door with its dense lock. "Care to fill me in on the plan?" Jack spoke up.

"She's in here."

"And you're gonna ram your way in?"

"Don't start with me, Jack! Either help me or get out of my way."

"Okay, okay." Jack looked over the railing, peering down the stairwell almost expecting UNIT's arrival. "But try working smarter and not harder."

Ianto began to pace and then stopped briefly, focusing on Jack. "What else can that bracelet of yours do?"

Jack stood as Ianto's eyes focused on his wrist. "Oi! This is not a bracelet. It's a technologically-advanced piece of Swiss army machinery with a chameleon watch circuit."

Ianto ran over to Jack, assaulting the watch and nearly flipping the man over the balcony. "Give me the bracelet or help me get her out!"

"Lisa's lucky to have your passion on her side. Now, let's see....type in these numbers and..."

"We don't have time for this!" Ianto wrenched Jack's wrist, typing quickly in a set of random numbers that forced Jack's entire body to convulse on one side.

"Easy! That's the combination for potion distress!"

"Potion distress? What are you, a bleeding cartoon character?"

"No! I'm a rogue con who happens to get poisoned on quite a few days in the week!" Jack looked down at Ianto with a very mystified pair of eyes. How could someone with such a limited view have so much passion and command? What was it about Ianto? Then they were both distracted as a resounding boom moved through the building and the sound of boot-clad feet and walkie talkie communications filled the area where the alarms had begun to sound.

Subtitle: Torchwood Four

Prompt 7: Days


	57. Chapter 57

"We have to move now Ianto! I'm not going back there!" Jack gripped Ianto's shoulders after wrestling his wrist away from the vice grip of the younger man.

"Then help me get her out." Ianto leveled his voice and eyes at Jack, causing the con man to gulp.

"Is she worth risking the outcome of the building on?"

Ianto gulped. "Yes."

Jack admired the young man's tenacity held together by a reserve that he was sure didn't normally show as well. "Then we'll have to try this new weapon I got...."

"What is it? It looks like a giant diffuser...." Ianto held the solid metal object, turning it over in his arms, forgetting for a moment the surge of soldiers descending their way.

Jack snatched it from Ianto's grip. "It's a sonic cannon."

"Really? And who's idea was it to take a cannon and say...let's make it sonic!"

"You know what? This might be your girlfriend's only chance. I'd say you should be just a bit more grateful!"

"Fine. Just make it work con man or I'll be feeding you to the soldier sharks before they can touch her."

"Tone down the drama, Ianto. And someone shut these bloody alarms off!" Ianto watched as Jack cocked the sonic cannon and bounced back just slightly on his feet from reverb. The sight of Lisa collapsed on the floor greeted Ianto, holding her arms across his body as if she were freezing.

Ianto rushed to her side. "Lisa?" She didn't respond, even as Ianto tried to hit her arm lightly.

Jack rushed to her side. "We have to go now. We'll have to try the roof access!"

"No. Not without her."

"Fine! Then carry her, but we have to go!" Jack was already halfway up the next staircase. Lisa wasn't heavy cradled over Ianto's back. He staggered occasionally and sweated quite a bit getting her through the maze of glass and metal that was the building, but it seemed an overall success. That is, until Jack swore loudly enough to raise the dead and give away their location to the living.

"It's reinforced," Jack announced angrily," neither the cannon nor the lock pick will work on this door!"

Ianto looked around, visibly tired from hefting the extra person, no matter how much his affection gave him strength. "There. That office."

Jack shouldered the door and they headed through the threshold. Lisa was laid gently in the corner by Ianto as Jack began to pace.

"We're trapped and I have no idea where the molecular module could be in this building keeping the code from finding my ship's signal!"

"Will you stop prattling on about yourself, Jack? This is serious."

"I'm sorry, Ianto. I'm trying to save all three of us here and let's just say that your bitching and moaning is not the most successful of thinking partners."

"No," Ianto said softly, "that's not it. Look. Turn on the desk lamp."

Jack followed his line of vision from where Ianto was pointing with Lisa to the current position of his extended finger. Even in the dark, Jack could make out an arm gone limp lying on the floor in the shade of the desk. Generally, unless there was more than one person involved, that didn't provide a good outlook for the individual. Ianto seemed clearly shaken by the turn of events.

Subtitle: Torchwood Four

Prompt 75: Shade


	58. Chapter 58

"There's a madman in the building!"

"Calm down, Ianto."

"There's a madman and soldiers in the building!"

"Are you listening to me?" Jack kneeled down to where Ianto was, near Lisa who was at least still breathing.

"I'm trapped with a con man, being hunted by soldiers in a skyscraper haunted by some bloodthirsty madman!"

Jack's nostrils flared and he reached back with his hand, slapping Ianto firmly across the cheek. "Will you get over it already? The world's bigger than your problems. And in less than five minutes we're going to have UNIT breathing down our necks!"

"That's not quite true, Harkness." Frederico turned on the lamp across the room. "I have the element of pass codes to protect us. Nothing is going to protect you." The revolver was still warm from shooting Vance and the fresh blood soaked into the carpet revealed the act itself. Ianto tried not to lose what remained of his supper.

Jack stood. "Do you think they're going to listen to pass codes?"

"Get back down on the floor," Frederico hissed, pointing his revolver at Jack.

"You're insane! We're all dead."

"No. Just you. Waste of prophecy, con man, Doctor's pet!" He spit as he spoke, clearly seeing Jack as nothing more than a wart in his line of vision.

"They're going to come bounding through that door at any second. You can't hide anymore Fred."

"Says who? Just because your teleporter is disabled doesn't mean mine doesn't work."

"You son of a bitch." Jack, ignoring the weapon, advanced on Frederico. "Where's the technology?"

"Take a guess, Harkness." Frederico snarled.

"Stop it." Ianto's soft defiant words were ignored.

"You think having a revolver makes you a big man? Go ahead, shoot me. One more fatality to add to your list. And then for what? For some prophecy, for some killing vendetta you've been planning from the start?"

"It'll all be worth it..." Frederico's eyes changed in an instant. He had this aura around of, one of a righteous disciple.

"Stop it." The words from Ianto were louder, more forced, but still ignored.

"Then shoot me because I'll sure as hell take you down before they take me away!"

"Stop it!" The UNIT soldiers themselves several floors below stopped moving for a second as Ianto screamed to the high heavens.

"You..." He pointed an enraged finger at Fred as he stood, "get the module disabled and I don't care what it takes or what your mission is. And you," Ianto walked toward Jack, "will take her away to safety. And you won't double cross me either. Because I swear to God that if you screw her or me and I die I will find a way to travel through every circle of imaginable heavens and hells to find and destroy you both. Now move!"

Subtitle: Torchwood Four

Prompt 97: Command (Writer's Choice)


	59. Chapter 59

"They're coming!" Panic was evident in Jack's voice.

"Would you stop being so pessimistic, Harkness?" An uneasy truce had filled the room, brought forth by a combination of Ianto's hurling breakdown and the small huddle of blue soldiers across the glass. "They can't get through."

"Uh...I'd beg to differ." Jack looked back at Frederico while standing facing the entrance. He was holding the door as if he could halt UNIT by keeping the door in place. Fred had ceased paying attention to the con man. He was uncontentedly busy dealing with the large panel hidden behind a cabinet with its own chameleon circuit access code which Vance had changed in his paranoid state. Every few minutes Ianto would hear Fred swearing.

For Ianto's part, he wasn't of much use except for keeping the two men in line with his feared stance. Something inside Jack and Fred made them believe that Ianto was dead serious and so they worked frantically to avoid UNIT and Ianto's wrath. Lisa really held the key to this entire act, but her pass card from Evan, which was hidden in her purse, was left at the stainless steel prison thanks to the tumult.

_She's still so beautiful. It's unfair to lose her like this. It's just... unfair_. Ianto ran his fingers through his hair, remembering how her eyes had lit up with amusement when he had allowed one of her friends to practice on his longer hair. "This is perfect!" She had exclaimed in the reflection of the mirror. "You have to keep it this short, Ianto!" He had made so many sacrifices for her and here he was. She wasn't a stranger; they knew exactly who each other were. A pit of guilt opened in Ianto's body.

Frederico gave a yelp the same moment as the soldiers began trying to shoot through the glass and he was tossed back by a bolt of security lightning. Fred's yelp was followed by a chuckle moments later. "Well, at least we'll be safe! Cheers!" He toasted the air while grinning broadly.

Jack bounced around the room. "How can you say that? How can you be so calm?! They can't shoot through the glass, but they could still get in!" Jack frantically moved over to the window, grasping at the clasp.

"That won't work! Dad had the place sealed down in event of emergency!"

"He thinks this is funny." Jack turned to Ianto, eyes bulging. "He's laughing, Ianto!"

Ianto mumbled as he watched Lisa do what he tried vainly to describe as sleeping. "He killed his father then too. That's not very trustworthy, but up until now he's proven to have good reason for everything. So do you trust the madman or the criminal in the end?"

"Ianto!" Jack gripped his shoulders again, dragging him back towards reality.

"What would you like me to do, Jack? What miracle can I perform for any of us?" Ianto was still deep in thought, almost looking beyond Jack Harkness. _I love her so much. From her insatiable appetite and curiosity all the way towards her bare skin, still without a kiss of too much eyeshadow, colorful and yet so blank, so colorless. If things could be different, better, could we have more?_

"You can help us think of a way to save her!" Ianto followed the angle of Jack's arm back towards Lisa.

Ianto nodded, moving wordlessly over to the panel. "Well, the main problem is this room. Its both the problem and the solution, that's the best way to put it I suppose. We cannot get her out and yet we cannot leave either. So what we must do is short circuit the way out."

Frederico was still giggling madly. "You can't short circuit alien technology Ianto!"

Ianto turned, blinking. "That's just not true, Fred." Then, he began to touch the first bit of his inner instinct and magic. Ianto touched the levers of the board, observing what each did and suddenly something just clicked. "This first row handles frequency. The second row is for blockage of satellite and origin and this small row of buttons handles surge output. Glorified washing machine, indeed."

Jack was more than amazed. "Then how do we fix it?"

"The problem with fixing it," Ianto clasped his hands behind his back while talking to Jack, "is that the lockdown is also run by the same process. The lockdown will refresh, giving the soldiers two minutes as a window with which to test and open the door. This means..." Jack gulped as Ianto continued. "...most of the men in this room will die still. Except for you, Jack. I don't expect you to stay or to take her. I was a fool and you a coward, we must all play our role. Fred does deserve to die in judgment and I deserve to die for my selfish ways. You, you're death would be meaningless washed in this. You're death must come at a higher price."

Then Ianto smirked as he reached down and unclasped the present from Lisa on his tie. If only she had known.

"What are you saying?" Jack tried to reach, but Ianto moved back towards the panel.

"I'm saying that we're never free, and yet always." Ianto jammed the metal clasp between two signal waves and then reached with the clasp of his watch toward the lamp that Vance had broke in his death flail. It was still plugged in and the waves surged. Ianto groaned, but continued to concentrate his will beyond the searing pain. He had flipped the top row and three of the middle row of switches. Jack watched the gauges helplessly and Ianto's mind began to shut down, forgetting Jack nearly instantly. His vision began to empty from the natural world. The last vision he had was of the waves becoming a green blur.

Jack gasped as his watch came to life and he was suddenly away from the room and back on his ship. The signal was jammed by UNIT and he was no longer able to contact the building. He stayed onboard, hidden behind the moon, and cried desolate tears for nearly two earth days.

Subtitle: Torchwood Four

Prompt 20: Colorless


	60. Chapter 60

"Ianto..." The voice was calling to him and there was a light. It was almost like a cartoon and yet so naturally expected. It was destiny and Ianto excepted it. The only problem was how he couldn't get up and walk. He was still on the floor of Vance's office and that voice was Fred, calm and controlled. "Jack's gone. It's time."

"Time for what?" Was that his voice?

"You've passed the test with more than flying colors and I'd love nothing more than for you to join the crew. Screw the prophecy! Come with me!"

"Excuse me if I'm still a bit confused about what scenario we're referring to here. Aren't you the madman who killed your father?" The world was coming back into focus, although Ianto still had a lot of dull ache coursing through his system. He was also vaguely aware that Lisa's tie clasp was ruined. The first sight Ianto had was of Frederico. The rest of the world was bathed in the orange tint of the back burner of a gas stove or a jet engine.

"That's all rather inconsequential. Vance was assigned to me, this isn't even really my body. And thank God I can go back to being myself soon."

"Stop the world, I want to get off."

"Sorry. I know it's exhausting and there's a lot to consider, but you can trust me, can't you?"

Ianto found himself laughing as he stood, testing his knees and dusting himself off. "I'm afraid that trusting you could be rather difficult."

"I'm offering you the chance of a lifetime."

"I understand that."

"We both know you don't want to hesitate."

Ianto quirked his eyebrow. "How well do you think you know me? You killed your father, imprisoned innocent people, carried on a full-blown charade and worst of all..." Ianto looked back towards Lisa on the left.

"How sweet. You're still attracted to her, but what I'm offering you..."

"I know, I know. That's such a lot more than most people get. I've heard the speech before. But I feel like you've done so much that's just not forgivable."

A female voice came out of the orange mist. "We've got to go, Fred."

Frederico nodded back towards the orange and then to Ianto. "That's your decision then. How unfortunate. I could have shown you everything you've ever wanted."

Ianto ceased nodding for merely a moment. "In her, I see all things I've wanted." Ianto walked over, crouching next to Lisa, allowing tears to begin to form. "Want to stay with her. You've got the technology, you can help her."

Fred shook his head. "She doesn't need help, she'll be awake soon enough and I guess this will all continue. They were smart choosing you as a keeper, Ianto. I guess I'll say that we'll be watching."

"Who?"

Fred slipped a gold card from his back pocket. "Torchwood Four. This, Ianto Jones, is your honorary membership card. You've earned it and I'm so proud to know you."

Ianto nodded. "You should go. There's far less than two minutes left now."

Fred sighed and headed towards the opening of the orange light. "You're an amazing man, Ianto Jones. The darkness better watch out for you."

And in an instant, the harsh lighting of the office had returned, the blue soldiers now knocking down the door. Ianto crouched close to Lisa, afraid to close his eyes and they'd be separated. Three large booms and then the door crashed heavily. They surged upon the room, five fold, followed by an older man in a business suit, approximately thirty.

"What a shame. It's a lucky thing you came along Ianto. Who was behind this? This was not her field test."

"Who are you?"

"Evan..." Lisa gasped back to life. "Ianto..."

Ianto grabbed onto her. "Oh my God, you're awake."

"I know, that noise in the room." Her eyes focused on Evan Martin. "Was that really all necessary?"

"I'm afraid Ms. Hallett that this was not our working, just some meddling sojourners. Luckily, Mr. Jones here was of admirable assistance. Lisa you've passed, but upon one condition."

"And what is that?"

"When you've finished university, Torchwood One will consider your activation of employment only along with the consideration of Mr. Jones."

Subtitle: Torchwood Four (Final chapter)

Prompt 12: Orange


	61. Chapter 61

It had only been a few months since the lottery fiasco featuring those emotion sucking aliens and the second known appearance of the "Enigma" as Ianto and Lisa had dubbed the time-traveling alien. He seemed a constant in their world somehow. At the very best of times he unsettled Lisa and made Ianto feel both burning anger and then guilt. Neither could pinpoint a reason for feeling such emotion.

"It's so beautiful," Lisa whispered as her eyes continued to follow the actors on the screen, grabbing onto Ianto's arm lightly. The theatre was dim and yet her eyes flickered sweetly with the illumination moving from the screen outward. If she was beginning to tear up, Ianto was silent if only for the fact that he was trying to hide his own feeling on the matter.

"A masterpiece," Ianto concurred. They were silent throughout the rest of the movie.

_Forget these wide-eyed fears; I'm here_

_No one can harm you_

_My words will calm and guide you_

"Here." Ianto removed his coat as they left the movie theatre. "I don't want you to catch your death."

Lisa wasn't really cold, but why ruin the chivalrous moment? "Thank you."

Ianto let his arms fall to his side as they walked slowly down towards the area where the cabs were all bunched up and waiting to scurry off. "So...you enjoyed the movie version of Phantom of the Opera?"

Lisa nodded. "I had my reservations after the disaster of the Producers."

"No doubt. I think it was a mistake casting Matthew Broderick. He wasn't helpless enough."

"Oh, but you were! After all, did you think I wouldn't notice you tearing up and fumbling with the popcorn?" Lisa nudged Ianto and he playfully moved farther along the sidewalk.

"I can try."

_All I want is freedom_

_A world with no more night_

_And you always beside me_

_To calm me and to guide me_

Lisa pecked him on the cheek. "You don't have to."

Ianto chuckled. "That's why I love you so."

"You know what I'd love?" Ianto held the door open as Lisa slid into the nearest cab.

"And what's that? Perhaps a sliver of cake..."

"Only if you promise a cup of coffee afterwords."

Ianto looked to the sky. "I'll think about it. It could be a possibility."

Twenty minutes passed and Lisa became slightly more tired, leaning into Ianto as the rhythm of the vehicle lulled her. "I'm glad you won that work lottery. Better results this time."

Ianto smiled warmly, just avoiding the cabbie's twinkling eyes. "Agreed."

_So say you'll stay with me each night, each morning_

_Say the word and I will follow you_

_Say you'll be with me each night, each morning_

_Anywhere you go let me go to_

_Love me; That's all I ask of you_

They arrived back at their quaint flat soon enough. The lights were low against the oatmeal-colored walls. Lisa's favorite patterns of rose ran rampant throughout the space, Ianto was a pushover when it came to loving her and he supposed that it was only natural for this to occur.

They saw each other more than other couples usually did during the day, and yet somehow there were always pleasant surprises to be had. There were parties and board game nights with their friends at work. There were new technologies for Ianto and consistent updating to news databases for Lisa. They worked nearly back to back, yet there was a never-ending parade of mysteries to debate and discuss. Lisa and Ianto by nature could argue, but who could abuse that sort of time?

Ianto sunk into his favorite part of the couch as the espresso machine whistled away in the background. Lisa was digging around for her favorite nightwear and Ianto's collar was hanging open, his tie laying across the back of the couch. She brought a pair of foamy beverages in matching coffee cups featuring various shots of Snoopy to their little charity shop coffee table. Even on salaries as Torchwood afforded, they saw no reason to be so extravagent. The couple wanted, loved history and culture. Secondary coffee tables were good enough for them.

"Will you make me a promise Ianto?" Lisa fell onto the couch, Ianto making a small gee noise as she used his body for a pillow.

Ianto failed to reach for the espresso and her arm brought it towards his hand. They touched momentarily. "I could never say no, Lisa."

"I know." Lisa wasn't the type to use pet names and Ianto wasn't the type to respond to them.

"So ask way."

"Even if we never marry, can we still have forever? Will you surprise me by coming around with tulips and daisies for the rest of our lives?"

Ianto looked down after taking a sip of espresso. "What makes you think we won't marry?"

Lisa sighed. "Just something Evan said that I've been thinking of lately."

"Any reason?"

"Only that I was that girl looking at bridal magazines and imagining that day since I was six and a half."

"Lisa, my love, I can't imagine a world without you. I promise you that I'll fight for us no matter what happens."

"Even if I die?"

"Even if you die I'll walk through the gates of heaven, hell, or whatever it is to be with you."

"Why are you so romantic?"

"Just lucky I guess."

Subtitle: A Phantom Request

Prompt 30: Death


	62. Chapter 62

"You'll catch your death out here Jack." Ianto raised his voice, although there wasn't much of a wind to go with the ominous dark clouds spouting rain. The black umbrella he huddled against his frame and half-vainly over Jack didn't help matters much.

"It's not that bad." Jack brought his head down, water dripping from his brow and sliding down off his nose to descend with a splat like most of the drops on the slick roof.

"I disagree. Perhaps this conversation would be better pursued inside."

Jack shook his head noncommittally. "You go back inside if that's what you'd like. It doesn't bother me."

Ianto hesitated for a moment. "Okay, but don't stay out too long. I wouldn't want you to catch your ...death."

Jack chuckled softly before leaning behind him and taking Ianto's free hand, rubbing it with his thumb and forefinger. "You worry far too much."

"I know. But let's face the facts that you cause me to worry quite a bit. Good night, sweet prince."

Jack listened to the sound of Ianto's foot falls as they descended from his favorite perch. Cardiff looked so alien to him through the mists of rain. It was different from clear twilight where harsh lights blinked off and on in a continual symphony of light and busy industrialism that never seemed to fade. In the midst of storm, Cardiff could look dangerous, primal and Jack wouldn't miss it for the world.

It wasn't odd that he was so distracted by the city he was protecting that he didn't notice the change come over the clouds. One moment the sky was inky black and the next instant the clouds were beginning to change and form. A sick, inky green began to hover over the area Jack was sitting, his legs swinging over the ledge. His head perked up only in the moments where the humidity became greater and sweat became mingled with fat raindrops.

The sky was beginning to launch a tornado right over the top of the building. Jack leapt to his feet, repelled from the danger and yet drawn toward it. He watched with morbid fascination as the clouds began to descend, echoing the booming slam of thunder and lightning.

"Jack!" Ianto yelled as he watched from the steps. Ianto wasn't the type to abandon his friends, his lovers, or whatever he and Jack happened to be to each other on that particular day. "You've got to get inside the stairwell."

For a moment, Jack hesitated. He glanced at Ianto and yet, his skin pricked with goosebumps at the excitement of facing the natural phenomenon. Jack didn't consider himself suicidal, more of a risk taker than anything. The tornado loomed closer and then a funnel cloud began to form. It dropped down almost instantly.

Ianto ran towards Jack, determined that if he were to go that he wanted to be with the immortal. He couldn't afford in his heart or his soul to lose another one. His selfishness had destroyed Lisa, his walls had alienated his coworkers. His only friend now seemed to be an immortal and an alien robotic bartender in the basement that Owen had yet to discover.

"No Jack!" It was already too late. Jack found himself dropping off the edge of the building directly into the path of the attractive tornado. "Take me with you."

Ianto was swept back by the cloud that dissipated just as briefly as it had formed. Straight from his knees, he bolted toward the spot where Jack had sat. He watched the clouds with dismay; Jack had promised he'd never leave again. And yet, even that hadn't been the full truth. Ianto should have known better. There really were no guarantees in their line of work.

Subtitle: Forces of Nature (Part 1)

Prompt 14: Green


	63. Chapter 63

"Praytell whether thou goest, sir?" Jack turned to meet the voice through the grey mist. Stephen stepped out, head to toe an exact replica for Oscar Wilde. He even carried an authentic version of a ledger. "I believe thou art turned away from thy direction."

"I am a bit lost." Jack scratched his head, allowing a bit of dew to descend from his hair through his jacket and then to the ground. He had felt a bit lost ever since waking up on the floor, behind a house in this city from long ago. Jack hated that he couldn't approximate time or place. The accents sounded British but something seemed amiss.

"Such a strange language, young captain."

Jack smiled and lifted his head with a bit of pride. "You can tell I'm a captain."

"Subtletly is not a trait you seem to possess, nor the King's love of humility I can tell."

"It's true. Who is the king on the throne?" Jack quirked his eyebrow as he talked.

Stephen coughed out a response. "I apologize, wandering stranger. This is a chilly night. Come, let us head for the local establishment and warm our chilled bones."

Jack, never one to turn down an offer from an especially cute stranger, agreed with an incline of his head. They headed through the mist quite quickly, not many words passing through the cold. It was strange to Jack. The air of different times had different feels about them. Whether oppressive, cloudy, bright, or hopeful, the air was usually thick with strange possibilities. This air was thin and absent of the difference that Jack could usually feel seeping through his skin.

Stephen's body had walked at an incline against an invisible chilling wind. His head was bowed low enough to show the balding spot forming, hidden vainly by his hairstyle. His dress was authentic to the 1800s and yet seemed a little dusty and shabby. All this Jack took in silently.

"Here we are," Stephen chortled merrily and Jack was hit by the assult of noise as they entered. The tavern was bustling with activity. Heads of foam floated around the room and past the mounted boars heads. The tables were brimming heavily with roasted food and potatoes, the men and women laughing heartily. Stephen himself seemed to be the one different peacock in the crowd. Well, that is, apart from Jack, who's RAF coat stood out like something beyond a sore thumb.

The odd part was a lack of anyone inquiring about his less than native costume. However, the patented Harkness charm works in any situation and he was easily life of the party without any drink. At some point, Stephen pointed towards a back exit and Jack follows him.

"Been having a good time Jack?" Stephen nonchalantly whipped out a pack of fags from a hidden pocket. Jack stands, a bit mystified, as Stephen strikes a match against the wall and lights a very out of time cigarette.

"Yes, I have." He accepts a second cigarette gratefully and notices the taste is a very strong accent with smooth. Jack, having practiced with much age, blows a smoke ring. "Where'd they come from?"

Stephen pointed out past the alley's trash can barricade. "The convenience shop."

Sub-Title: Forces of Nature

Prompt 10: Years


	64. Chapter 64

It must be a dream, a trick, or a trap. The forest of buildings receeded into the trees, the forest of trees became a smooth park among a bustling metropolitan area. Stephen was smirking as they walked through the grass. "So, this was a renaissance costume area?"

Stephen furrowed his brow as he nodded. "Of course it was. I mean, I assumed with your character dress that you'd just been sent to the wrong faire. You might want to fire your agent immediately."

"I'll consider it. So, how'd you end up with the company?"

Stephen leaned against a tree with one foot kicked back. "I guess I couldn't escape the London Calling. Born and raised here, but I just could never see it..."

Jack chuckled low. "It's hard to escape who you are."

"What about you Jack? Playing an American?"

"Guess my accent really is that good."

Stephen nodded. "You had me fooled. My bird's at university here and that helps too."

Jack folds his hands into his pocket, fingering a little token of Ianto's that he took every which way he went. "My significant other's in Cardiff at the moment."

"The Welsh? How interesting. Well, Captain Jack Harkness, which hostel are you lying in during your stay."

Jack shrugged. "Don't really have one. It's my first night in London, haven't really had the time."

Stephen sighed as he flicked his fag away. "Well, we have an extra bed and room's kind of at a premium, if you don't mind sharing with three other lads I mean."

Jack and Stephen began moving toward the taxi area of the park. "I don't mind. But why would space be at such a premium?"

"Didn't you read in the paper?" Stephen turned to face Jack as he flagged a taxi. "John Lumis is giving a talk to one of the city's graduating classes."

Jack blinked for a moment. "Stephen, this might sound like a strange question, but what year is it exactly?"

Jack let himself be swept away by the smooth sight of a city moving from the taxi. His judgement wasn't as sharp as it should have been. Clouded by thoughts of Ianto pre-Cyber Lisa, Jack just wanted to find him. This was his graduating class. Lumis could have a swaying effect, could have been the reason Ianto joined Torchwood One. Ianto was always hesitant about opening himself and Jack was unclear about the details. But one thing that was clear was that the tornado hadn't just dropped him from a random point in the sky.

Sub-Title: Forces of Nature (Part 3)

Prompt 83: And


	65. Chapter 65

He could have touched Ianto, hidden as close to the shadows from the light as he had been. Jack was sure Ianto could hear his heartbeat, the Ianto he loved that was. This Ianto was enraptured by Lisa. Now, Jack had never met her, but even here, from his hidden spot behind the brick column in the courtyard, he could tell that she was special. Ianto's innate ability to find the strength and the right invidiual had once again created an amazing relationship.

Jack couldn't lie to the cool of the shadows. He was jealous. To have an untied Ianto as it were, no discernible wall or moments of dark silence. This was an Ianto in concert t-shirts and jeans. This wasn't his Ianto, troubled by demons that had almost cost him the world and then been jeopardized by it. He had hated missions after the country. Jack had only been allowed to notice once, one time his hand had shaken with the coffee thermos, but never again.

He wondered if anyone among their group of friends noticed what was off in the relationship. It was clear to Jack from the Ianto he knew that mostly their relationship had been spectacular, just like the song. When it's good, it's very good and when it was bad it was diabolical. Lisa had bought him the first tie pin he had owned. She had a copy of the Hunchback of Notre Dame signed in love by Ianto. Oh, to be in love with Ianto, thoughtful and creative without any inhibition but to give.

Jack hadn't lit a cigarette in a long while and he knew this was a terrific test of his willpower. She was grace and Jack was sure that, given half the chance, Ianto would die for her. There was something so dignfied in her walk and yet so self-aware. Lisa glanced over her shoulder as she walked, Ianto looking ahead and laughing at some quip she had made about the American sensationalism of Fox News. Their gait was nearly tandem and yet there was something less annoying couple and more duo of individual about it.

They walked across campus, stopping only for coffee and to exchange textbooks. Jack followed them, learning about where each stayed, wondering if he could lockpick Ianto's room without being caught. This was peculiar to Jack more than anything. Somewhere, he thought, Toshiko is hacking into a defense mainfraim, Rose is boarding the Tardis, Owen is finishing his first stint with the lady in pediatrics, and Gwen must have begun her first assignment with the police corps. Jack's world was forming and right here he was watching the most important part of it.

Even after all that, he still wouldn't drink anything stronger than cola. Truth be told, he hated the effect on body and mind. He had to be prepared. At first, it was for the Doctor. He didn't want to waste any moment during the hunt or waiting period. Afterwards, it had become about the sharp and clear mind, protecting the world. On the Tardis, he had just not abstained and witnessed the effect space travel had on an alcohlic mind. All those combined factors convinced him that taking care of his body was supremely more important than a fake high. Oh, but Ianto could give him that release.

He gripped the condensation on his glass, concentrating past the swirling emotions toward thoughts of the sky and the decision he was facing. It was clear that he could be sent back to right some wrong, to free his lover. At this moment, the fate of several worlds relied on his decision. One left turn down the wrong path could destroy Tosh at the hands of the cannibals or free Jack from the 1940s before he had a chance to kiss the man who's name he'd stolen. What decision should he make? The burdens of my soul, all my knowledge, nothing prepares me for this. Nothing has been more confusing than my love for Ianto. Can I lose him to save him?

"What you thinking about, Harkness?" Stephen plopped down in the midst of the soda.

"The future." Jack intoned flatly.

"Heavy subject."

"Yeah." Jack sighed.

"Whatever it is, you're a good person Jack. If you love them, and you've got the look of the man mulling over love, then the right decision comes. It always does." Jack nodded and Stephen got up for a moment to go chat with Chad the bartender.

Sub-Title: Forces of Nature (Part 4)

Prompt 35: Sixth Sense


	66. Chapter 66

Stephen was whispering playfully to the bartender and Chad responded to wherever Stephen was pointing with a hearty laugh. Jack watched the man shake his head and then move toward the other end of the bar, flipping a switch to bring power to the stage. Jack continued to crane his neck as Stephen moved through the smallish crowd and wheeled two black boxes from the closet. He began to fiddle with a couple of knobs and attached a few cords here and there. He gave Jack a thumbs up and twisted his mouth into a smile before he began singing.

_3:30 in the morning_

_Not a soul in sight_

_The city's looking like a ghost town on a moonless summer night_

_Raindrops on the windshield_

_There's a storm moving in_

_He's coming back from somewhere that he never should have been_

_And the thunder rolls_

_And the thunder rolls_

Jack perked up in his seat, his hand now trembling. He wished the world for Ianto, some days wishing he could trade his immortality for Ianto's freedom. Of course, that was foolish unless he could find an actual still-living genie. And the three remaining ones had been transported to Sevregon a few years back, the week before Toshiko had been caught for busting into the defense mainframe.

The sugary cola burned through his gut. He hunched inward, in some form of pain. The storm was creating static lust all throughout the city, everything and everyone seemed charged in some way. There was clear danger and even more of a clear excitement hiding in the shadows. Jack used to relish this sort of thing.

_Every light is burning as in the house across town_

_She's pacing by the telephone in her faded flannel gown_

_Asking for miracle_

_Hoping she's not right_

_Praying it's the weather that's kept him out all night_

_And the thunder rolls_

_And the thunder rolls_

This might be my only chance to give him freedom, Jack thought. Even if I am messing with the timeline, why should I care? Hasn't the timeline messed enough with me? Karma's a reach bitch, isn't it time? Jack's entire body pounded, each muscle feeling alive. His jaw was tight and his fists set as he moved from his stool and out towards the street, headed for the university.

_And the thunder rolls_

_And the lightning strikes_

_Another loves goes cold darlin'_

_On the sleepless nights_

_As the storm rolls on out of control_

_Deep in the heart, the thunder rolls_

Lisa slept in an almost-snoreless state. She was wearing a pair of striped pajama bottoms and a pink shirt featuring a cartoon heart. Her rest was more fitful than restful and the bags under her eyes attested to some worry. Yes, Jack thought as he hovered at her feet while she slept, but nothing can be worse than what's to come. He looked dubiously at his pistol, the recently matched silencer attached to the end. Jack closed his eyes and licked his lips, feeling remorse but thinking of this as the best course of action. Maybe he couldn't save himself, maybe he wasn't sure he wanted to. But Ianto could be saved. That mattered to Jack more than anything.

_She's looking through the peephole as he pulls into the drive_

_She rushes out to hold him_

_Thankful he's alive_

_Through all the wind and the rain strange new perfume blows_

_And the lightning flashes in her eyes_

_And he knows that she knows_

_And the thunder rolls_

_And the thunder rolls_

His hand shakes unsteadily, a feeling Jack isn't used to. He's the brash, confident child of time and wind without regret or feeling. That was, until Gwen showed up and knocked him flat on his delusional arse. For a moment, his butterflies dancing in the stomach questioned what ripple the future would bring from this. Perhaps Ianto would be blamed for the murder, perhaps the shockwaves would stop the cybers. Perhaps Rose, the Doctor, and he could have traveled for eternity. Perhaps he would have never had a reason to leave the Tardis. In any eventuality, Ianto would be safe. Then maybe John and Gray could kill him in a secluded planet and Toshiko would survive all this with Gwen. They were brilliant. They could carry the world on their shoulders; Jack would never allow someone in Torchwood Three that couldn't.

_She darts back down the hallway past the bedroom door_

_She reaches for the pistol kept in the dresser drawer_

_Tells the lady in the mirror_

_He won't do this again_

_Cause tonight will be the last night_

_She'll wonder where he's been_

_And the thunder rolls_

_And the thunder rolls_

Lightning and thunder were crashing outside the room. He'd have to do this quickly before she was roused from her sleep. He wished he had a clever phrase to put together for the occassion, but he was doing all he could not to vomit on himself. Jack knew this was for the future. The immortal knew this was the best decision for all involved. Jack turned his face away as he fired his weapon.

_And the thunder rolls_

_And the lightning strikes_

_Another love goes cold_

_On the sleepless nights_

_As the storm rolls on out of control_

_Deep in the heart_

And Captain Jack Harkness, for the good of the man he loved, shot Lisa Hallett as thunder broke through the window.

_The thunder rolls_

Sub-title: Forces of Nature

Prompt 69: Thunder

*Song: Garth Brooks- "The Thunder Rolls" (Long version)


	67. Chapter 67

"Jack, are you okay?" The voice on the other end of the intercom was panicked and more than slightly staticky. Through his closed eyes, Jack could see monitors all over the compartment blinking. He believed at first that this was all according to the fact that the lightning had seared through him towards Lisa.

But then the sound of the motor was still running, and Jack could hardly ignore that as evidence. He blinked a few times, surprised to find himself no longer in Lisa's room. The sound of Gwen's voice crackled over the system. "I'm sending Owen out to get you!"

It took him a moment to respond to the crackling voice, but he reached out for his comm link quickly. "No Gwen, that's quite all right. Just a jolt of lightning in the sky, that's all."

A silent moment passed. "This is Lisa, Jack. I do wish you'd stop making that mistake."

"Of course," Jack groaned, "I apologize. It just seems that the SUV's tipped and the lightning rattled me a bit."

"Hmm...", was the response, "we'll, Tosh has already called a towing system that we've worked with before. She's signaling a five minute response time. Can you exit the SUV or do you need Owen?"

"No, I don't think the doctor's necessary. I'm just a bit sore." Jack emphasized the point with a well-placed groan against where the seatbelt had kept him from flying toward the passenger's seat.

Toshiko broke in. "All right. We've lost the blowfish and his car, which was quite a feat. It was a beauty of a car, according to Owen." Jack could hear Owen murmuring something in the background, but thought that it would waste time trying to make it out.

Jack hissed as he forced his weight against the tilted passenger door. He marvelled to find himself and the SUV tumbled by the force of lightning into a road ditch. He checked himself for injuries while he waited for a tow. Nothing seemed broken or the worse for wear. Jack also found it quite interesting that Lisa was apart of Torchwood Three. She had survived the shot and somehow becoming a Cyber. Was she married to Ianto? Jack needed to know, he was resignedly eager as the tow truck bounced all the way back toward the Hub.

The familiar whoosh of the rolling cog door couldn't move fast enough for Jack, but he immediately regretted it. He could feel a very different energy, almost an absurd repression running rampant through the place. There was also a noticeable lack of cleanliness, organization, or even his favorite coffee mug with the dancing Snoopy lying on his desk.

"You don't look any worse for wear." Lisa was typing away, gaze flickering between Jack and her keyboard as he stood in the doorway.

"Yeah, well, I don't feel it much either. That was quite a storm to hit the SUV, tossing it to knock over though."

Lisa nodded. "I did some research according to what Ianto left on the fairies. Unfortunately, the attack is as mysterious as when it began."

"Did the storm just show up?" Jack sauntered over to the desk.

Lisa nodded. "Perhaps you should go see Owen. You look incredibly pale."

Jack rubbed his hands together. "I think some of Ianto's coffee will do the trick just as well. No offense, Owen."

Owen, engrossed in his own work, didn't even bother an intelligible response.

Lisa bit down on her lip. "Now I really do think you need to go see Owen."

Subtitle: Forces of Nature (Part 6)

Prompt 26: Teammates


	68. Chapter 68

His world was bottoming out underneath him. Sense was showing itself through a carnival mirror and it looked more like a bowling pin than the Ianto shaped hole lying in his gut. But the facts, the evidence, was more irrefutable than anything.

"He was the best of us, Jack." Lisa's voice was monotone as they stood amongst the dusty trappings and saved boxes of past employees. "I think he might have saved some of his coffee for you."

"Why me?" His voice was soft, disguising the tears very poorly.

"Because he never forgave me for not understanding your position with Jasmine and the fairies."

Jack sighed. "Leaders make tough calls. Ianto understood that."

Lisa nodded. "He and I were always so different and yet that collision course was expected of course. I accepted that you were too much of a magnetic force, too much of a planet without a moon to orbit around."

"You still love him."

"As you do, as does Toshiko and Owen, even Gwen."

Jack was trying to play his best con improv on the situation. The ramifications of what he'd done were so huge, apparently, that they'd even reached Gwen. Had she ever reached her full potential? Had Bilis pulled the switch and sent him and Tosh back in time? How many missions, logs had been affected by his own rash judgment and stupidity? "Yes, well, Gwen was one of the fortunate ones."

"It was quick for her too. I still have a bruise that you can barely notice from Max. I suppose we were lucky that Suzie knew enough to sacrifice herself to save us all. Max wasn't a great threat, but he was a threat indeed."

"And so we lost Ianto and Gwen."

"Gwen wasn't such a big loss, I don't think in the grand schemes. I mean, you hired her on after she just kept bumping into us. Fate, you called it, I think. And then when Mary used her to uncover the code for the chameleon circuit through Owen, she had become to much of a risk, I think. She lasted a lot longer than I gave her credit for."

"I'm sorry I made you come with me."

Lisa gave him a half-hearted smile. "What doesn't kill us, makes us stronger Jack. And it's not as though none of this was unexpected. At least I turned out to be a great archivist under his tutelage."

Jack sighed. "What have I done?"

"What was that?"

"I said, what are we going to do when we run out of space?"

Lisa shrugged. "I suspect the Doctor will come again before that happens. He said that he'd take me next time. I suppose the word "brilliant" used by a Time Lord is a great honor."

Jack chuckled to himself. "It's a better honor than being called just wrong."

Subtitle: Forces of Nature

Prompt 77: What?


	69. Chapter 69

Jack would never be used to tuning out the static on the radio that Ianto had replaced in the SUV. At least, that was at the point when Ianto had been living. Since Jack's interference in the timeline, little things popped out at him. Things just seemed wrong, such as the static or the lack of whirring noises that echoed from the nexus of the Hub, Ianto's kitchen.

It was no surprise to Jack when Lisa began to nod off on the ride back to the Hub. A half signal came over the radio, a report came in from an innocuous Welshman reading a standardized paper. "For the Cardiff area, a swelling concentration of storm has located itself directly in the middle of the local weather beaurea. Residents are advised to steer clear of the weather tower as the antennae has been known to attract copious amounts of lightning during such events."

Jack supposed that was his cue. He had this one decision to make, to rectify that which he had done in a harsh moment. The light was changing from yellow to red before him and, alone on the road, he straddled between the straight and left turn lanes. One choice would leave Ianto in peace, Gwen as nothing more than a memory, and who knows how many ramifications to his Captain's log. The other road led back to more familiar and certain pain. Yet, the pain itself had a beautiful and awful symmetry to its world. His choice would have to come quickly and then Jack mused about what it would be like to be stuck in London for the second time of his life, surpressing any risk that would lead him to meet a younger Ianto. Perhaps, he thought, I can head towards Scotland and keep guard with Archie as a refugee from my own timeline while he searches for Torchwood Four.

He still wasn't completely sure that he could make the right decision as he barreled down the road in the dark, drenching downpour. Lisa woke abruptly as he hit the curb, making the turn. Jack turned as she awoke with a wince. "Sorry about that."

Lisa yawned as she watched the scenery fly. "Back to the Hub in a certain hurry, aren't we?"

Jack shook his head. "We're not going back to the Hub. At least, I'm not."

"I'm dropping you off, then and returning the SUV?"

Jack nodded. "You might say that."

The tires squealed to a halt and Jack leapt from the SUV. He didn't want to see or acknowledge her goodbye from the opposite side of the car. Jack wasn't sure if he was even making the right choice, but it was a choice he made. The attanae loomed before him as a dark beacon in a shadowy wind.

"Just call if you get stranded." Lisa's last words floated away as he bundled his coat against the wind.

Bilis didn't turn as Jack walked by him, talking as though he were addressing the waving dials in the room. "Why, Captain Harkness. Isn't it a tad risky being here on a night such as this?"

"Bilis. What are you doing here?" Jack snarled while lost in his own thoughts. He crossed his arms for a good solid measure.

"I'm always attracted to anomalies in time, considering that I am one and what you're about to do will both create and seal another. This entire scenario since Apollyon's defeat has been the most fascinating move of time's cyclical will."

Jack stared at Bilis. "Glad I could oblige you."

Bilis turned slightly under the glare. "I believe you flatter yourself, Captain. But I would have you do one thing in the bargain lest I prevent you from returning to your mission at hand in restoring the natural order of things."

"You assume that I wouldn't betray you, Bilis?"

"I do. You see, considering the overall consequences of the actions you've already taken, it seems that you have far better ways to conduct yourself in pain than I could appropriately find."

Jack's voice settled in uncertaintly. "What would you bargain with?"

"Kill Diana before she can leave Owen."

Jack uncrossed his arms. "But your entire plan with Apollyon hinges on Owen's heartbreak with her leaving. Without that, most events regarding Apollyon don't even set into motion."

"I understand that, captain. Circumstances with your immortality being what they are, I have learned a valuable lesson about myself. Apollyon no longer serves my purposes and I wish to wipe the blood from my hands, so to speak."

"You can't believe I would trust you."

"No one's asking for trust, Captain Harkness. I'm simply advising you for the benefit of us all." With that, Bilis made his creepy ghost-like exit before Jack's eyes.

Jack stood at the precipice of the roof stairs a moment later. Thunder boomed and lightning crackled over his head. He was unsure of anything except for the swirling darkness all around. Jack edged forward, his hand reaching out for the large and sizzling antennae. Jack's natural reflexes made him jump back slightly as his skin burned against the metal.

The wind whipped around his face and coat. He closed his eyes hard and wished for his own cursed fate to not destroy all which he loved. Okay Bilis, Jack thought, don't screw me over. Jack's hands let go just as blistering began to set in permanently. He fell into chaos as the bolt connected with his body via the metal rod. Jack expected to hit the ground as he fell. But all he could feel was light searing his body? There was no telling whether or not he actually traveled through time and space again.

He didn't trust himself to open his own eyes and yet he knew that he was surging through storms of other times and places. He found that his body aimed like an arrow for a certain open window where a young woman in university slept. She work a pink t-shirt with a cartoon heart attached. Jack knew he'd have to aim just right.

Lisa awoke startled soon after to the sound of the falling boom and a call from Ianto across town. Nothing more than a dark black cinder remained where Jack had stood earlier twice. No explanation or weather report made officially or by Torchwood could explain the phenomenon. It seems as though Lisa could truly save her own life, even without knowing she could.

Sub-Title: Forces of Nature (Chapter 8-Final)

Prompt 73: Light


	70. Chapter 70

"Ianto, what are you doing?" Lisa called from the couch, her eyes trying to peer past the closed kitchen door.

"Finishing touches."

Lisa sighed. "They've seen the apartment, Ianto. They've helped us paint."

Ianto's foot appeared in the room before he did. He talked with his back towards Lisa as he moved two large bowls onto the coffee table, one radiating enough heat to warrant a pot holder on the table. "I know. I just like this to feel homey for them."

Lisa chuckled just a bit. "Raleigh and Sherry already like us, Ianto. You don't have to work so hard."

"You think this is me working hard? Cinnamon sugar slow roasted chestnuts are easy to..."

The doorbell rang. Behind it, Sherry was adjusting Raleigh's tie while he held a bottle of red dessert wine. On the road, Raleigh had made a distinct comment relating to the American musical Grease. Sherry had just rolled her eyes.

Ianto threw open the door and his eyes gave one of their characteristic twinkles as Raleigh put in a well-placed hey before throwing himself into a hug. Ianto shrunk a little from the back pat but Lisa was there to scoop up the wine from Raleigh's hand before he dropped it. She and Sherry went towards the small dining table to pour glasses as Ianto and Raleigh walked arm in arm, Raleigh giving a full bounding laugh after one of Ianto's famous zingers about his wardrobe.

In Ianto's defense, it was too easy. Who wears 12 pairs of cowboy boots? And it's not as though he was immune either. Ianto's target was also well-placed with Lisa's pink tie washing fiasco and the ensuing friendly war that had begun between the pair that had led to the friendship in the first place. Lisa claimed that she and Sherry were more civilized. Their friendship was formed over a coffee break when one had begun reading the new John Grisham novel.

Once everyone was sitting on paired couches drinking the wine, Sherry broke the ice. "What shall we do tonight?"

"Yeah, Ianto. You never told us what you had in store for game night. Hockey, basketball, some futbol maybe?"

Ianto shook his head. "Good god, if you were anymore manly you'd be a neanderthal Raleigh. Nope...I found this at a charity shop." With that, he pulled the master genus edition of Trivial Pursuit from under the table. "And give it a whirl."

"It's like being in my grandmother's house. I'll stick to my neanderthal ways, thanks Ianto."

Lisa nodded. "That's all right. We understand that you're scared to lose, Raleigh."

"Is that a challenge, Lise? Don't go challenging the bull or you'll get the horns."

Ianto snickered through his nose. "Then let's raise the stakes a little."

Sherry quirked her head. "What's the wager?"

"Well, Lisa and I still have a couple of bottles left from when we were in college that we've never intended to finish. I say we throw out the categories we know well and take shots if we make mistakes on the answers."

"Do we get a hint? Or perhaps a time limit?"

Ianto shook his head, a twinkle in his smile as well as eye. "No, this is Trivial Pursuit for adults. Although if you've got designs on taking an hour...."

"Okay, beanpole, you're on."

Sub-Title: Game Night

Prompt 21: Friends


End file.
